


Lockdown Lovers

by R_ATIN



Series: Lockdown Lovers [1]
Category: SB19 (Band)
Genre: Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Come Eating, Come Swallowing, Eventual Smut, FaceTime Sex, Flashbacks, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Lockdown Lovers, Love, Lovers, M/M, Masturbation, Porn With Plot, Porn with Feelings, Romance, SB19 - Freeform, Sex, Teasing, Yaoi, lockdown - Freeform, video call sex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-08
Updated: 2020-07-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:47:45
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 18
Words: 33,759
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23542600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/R_ATIN/pseuds/R_ATIN
Summary: Sejun and Stell met at the most inconvenient time, during the ECQ.Friends to lovers, perhaps? Fluff to Smut.Mini series. That's all I can say.(This was inspired from a viral Tiktok video but all succeeding scenes from chap 2 onwards are products of my imagination, unless otherwise stated.)
Relationships: Junell, Stell/Sejun, Stelljun - Relationship, Stellvester Ajero/John Paulo Nase
Series: Lockdown Lovers [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1817014
Comments: 170
Kudos: 303





	1. Chapter 1

SEJUN POV

I met Stell during the first few days of the Luzon lockdown. I was stuck in my apartment in Makati, he was stuck in his condo opposite mine. 

I didn't really mind being locked down for a month. I mean, I'm by myself anyway, most of the time, either jotting down notes or playing random strums on my guitar until my brain starts working and comes up with another song. Otherwise, I'd be too immersed in reading some Neil Gaiman fics while chugging down a full mug of black coffee at the balcony, pretending I'm on vacation. 

I remembered it was one of those hot balcony days and I was trying to finish my favorite book, 'Smoke and Mirrors' for the seventh time. I'm normally pretty confident with my laser focus during such leisurely pastimes but for some reason, I felt the need to wander my eyes around at that point. 

That was when I first saw him, on the roof deck of the condo building right in front of ours. 

I curled my eyebrows and narrowed my eyes, trying to get a clearer picture of what was happening a few meters in front and a couple of floors below me. 

_"What the heck? Ginagawa nun?" I whispered to myself._

The man on the roof deck seemed to be executing some weird movements. And if my eyes weren't playing tricks on me, I'd say he was fully dressed in neons and whites, and what seemed to be a bandana tied around his head. He was dancing to something, or at least that was what it appeared to be.

_"Seriously, tanghaling tapat? Sa roof deck? Init nyan dre"._ I muttered under my breath, as though my sentiments could be delivered through the air.

Unconsciously, I closed my book and tossed it into the corner of my coffee table, all my attention already diverted to this weird guy performing at the roof deck under the wicked afternoon heat. 

I watched him dance until those few minutes abruptly turned into an hour.

Two hours.

Three.

Four hours.

My stomach grumbled. I glanced at my watch.

 _"Alas singko na pala."_ I cleared the table and got up to prepare for my dinner. Before I completely went inside, I tossed one last look over my shoulder. I saw him grabbing his tripod and was scurrying towards the elevator. 

The corner of my mouth shaped into a playful smirk before I went and disappeared into the kitchen.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost 4 in the afternoon, and I was having another coffee at the balcony, accompanied by my acoustic guitar. I seemed to have developed some sort of new routine every after lunch time. It was a fixed schedule. He comes up at the roof deck at 1pm, dancing to different choreos daily, and he normally finishes around 4 or 5pm. 

Oddly enough, my daily agenda adjusted itself to match his. It has already been a week.

While he was several meters away from where I was, I could distinctly witness his every move. Every stomp of his seemingly favorite white sneakers, and the fluidity of his long legs, the sharpness of his hips and his tasteful body rolls. 

Tasteful? Where did that come from? 

He continued swaying with the grace of the clouds. It's no secret. You could immediately tell he is a good dancer. 

I was stirred back up from that bizarre train of thought when I saw him scrutinizing his phone fixed on the tripod, and removing it from the clamp afterwards.

"Okay, that's a wrap", I sighed and was preparing to pack my stuff as well. Or so I thought. 

Instead of his usual semi-dashing towards the elevator, he stopped on his tracks for a brief second and subsequently plopped down on the cemented floor. He wiped his face and neck off with a towel, while fanning himself with his hands alternately.

Like an absentminded creature in a trance, I sat back on my stool and fixed my eyes on this slumped figure on the floor across the neighboring building. 

It was my first time seeing him actually facing towards my direction. He usually films facing the other way so that I could only see his back. I tilted my head, resting it on my arms against the balcony rail, and watched him intently. 

He was fanning himself vigorously, must be really exhausted and sweaty. From this distance, I could only see a mop of black hair, and a beautiful tanned complexion. I was disappointed that I couldn't make out his facial features much. 

He stayed that way for about twenty minutes.

I was startled when he began to get up and looked as though he was about to leave. For some reason, my heart started to race and I began to panic. I stood up frantically, making my stool tumble backwards with a loud thud.

"HEY WAIT!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. 

Time stood still for a second and felt a strange, piercing coldness creeping through my fingers. Shit! Sejun, What have you done? It felt like my head would burst at any minute.

He stopped walking and slowly turned towards the direction of my voice. For the first time, our eyes met. He looked around him puzzled, trying to check whether there were somebody else aside from him. When he concluded that he was the only person at the roof deck, he looked at me again while pointing his fingers to himself. Probably trying to ask me whether it was him I was calling out.

Shit. Shit. Shit. Me and my stupid mouth! All the air escaped out from my lungs and I was choking, my mouth was practically on the floor. Say something, tanga!

"Y-YES! Y-YOU!" I half stuttered, half shouted while pointing my fingers at him, looking absolutely like an idiot. 

"BAKIT PO??" He yelled back in his high-pitched voice. The sound of his voice rang in my ears before I realized he addressed me with "po". Cute.

Then I started to malfunction again. Sejun, think! Fast! 

"BAKIT KA LAGI NAGSASAYAW DYAN?!" the words came out of my mouth even before my brain got to process the sheer stupidity of it all. True enough, the fish always gets caught by its mouth. 

I saw his eyes widened, surprised, and hovered a hand over his mouth. I expected to see him freak out and accuse me of stalking him. Well it's not entirely false, but still.

"HALA?!" He exclaimed. "NAKAKAHIYA NAMAN! NAPAPANOOD MO PALA!" 

He looked uneasy and embarrassed, holding both of his hands against his cheeks while trying to evade my gaze. He was shy all of a sudden, but not creeped out as I anticipated. That's a good thing I suppose? It somehow gave me a fair amount of boldness.

"O-OO EH, DITO KASI AKO TAMBAY LAGI SA BALCONY!" I said, attempting to sound as convincing as I could. Well it wasn't totally a lie. Or was it? 

He scratched his head while flashing his toothed smile, embarrassment was evident on his face. I wondered if he was blushing too. That would be cute. 

"AH. NAG TI-TIKTOK KASI AKO EH!" he answered back. "ANG BORING KASI SA UNIT!"

Oh, so that's what it was all about. It wouldn't have crossed my mind. I'd never been too fond of social media, not my cup of tea. But recalling how he would show up at the roof deck every day, looking all dressed up and dancing with so much energy for hours and hours, that's some dedication. 

All for Tiktok? Interesting.

It was too late when I took notice that his voice sounded strained. Then I came to my senses that this person had been dancing for almost 5 hours and was most likely exhausted and here I was, making him converse with me by yelling at each other. Not very convenient.

All of a sudden, an idea hit me. 

"CAN YOU WAIT A SEC?!" I said. "MAY KUKUNIN LANG AKO. DYAN KA LANG HA!"

Then I darted back to my unit without waiting for his answer. I went straight to my bedroom and desperately searched amid the boxes. 

Found it!

I dashed back to the balcony, hoping he was still around. My heart skipped a beat when my eyes found him on the same spot, probably confused but still smiling.

I took the drone out of its dusty box, grabbed a pen and paper from under my coffee table and started scribbling fast. I tore the paper off from the bind and attached it to the drone together with my pen, using my hairtie, since I didn't have an adhesive tape with me. 

I took a swift peek over my shoulder. He's still patiently waiting. 

"SORRY! ETO NA!" I declared, after checking on the batteries and the flight controller. 

I witnessed the astounded look on his face as he watched the drone ascend from behind me, slowly but surely gliding through the empty space, en route to his path.


	3. Chapter 3

I was awakened by the notification sound of my phone. With eyes half shut, I sloppily reached for it from my bedside table. 

"6:25 AM?" I groaned.

I unlocked the phone and Stell's message popped up. 

"Good morning! Rise and shine Sej!" His message read. I could've sworn I heard his voice while reading that. My lips instinctively curved to form a small smile. 

I rolled on my back, eyes fixed on the ceiling. It has been two weeks since we started talking, which eventually became a daily habit. 

I still can't wipe this stupid grin off my face every time I recall how I used a drone to ask for his name. I couldn't forget how he looked so amazed, with eyes and mouth wide open while clapping his hands like a kid, when the drone landed a few inches near his feet. He removed the fastened piece of paper and brightly beamed after reading my letter. He took the pen, wrote his reply below my message and signalled me to take the drone back.

I immediately opened the paper as soon as it reached me. 

"Stell Ajero. That's also my FB acct :)" his message wrote.

I didn't have the chance to introduce myself properly that time since he already waved goodbye right after I read his letter. But I got his name, as well as his Facebook. I pursed my lips to suppress a smile.

I quickly opened my laptop and searched for his profile. 

Bingo!

There was only one account that goes by that name. I clicked on it, beyond thrilled to hit that "add" button, only to find it missing. His account was on private but good thing his messenger was accessible so I was able to send him a PM introducing myself as Sejun the "Drone guy". 

He added me up right off and greeted me like a familiar friend, addressing me as "Sej". Cute. 

He seems too soft and precious whenever he speaks, a downright contrast to the person he becomes whenever he's dancing. Intense, sensual, captivating. 

I swallowed at the thought and felt a surge of blood crawl up my cheeks. 

"Good morning too Stell! Up so early? Am still in bed. :)" I replied. 

"Haha! Mag sh-shoot na kasi ako ng Tiktok now. OMW to the roof deck. :)"

"Change of sked? Why ang aga?"

"Ah, I ran out of sunscreen. Can't stay too long under the sun :)" 

Okay, that was random. If there's anything I've learned about Stell during the last couple of weeks was his spontaneity. One minute we were talking about music then the next thing I know, he's blabbering about sinigang. Now it's skin care. He's rather unpredictable and for some reason, it excites me. 

He excites me.

"Okay! I'll have my bfast at the balcony then para may audience ka." I answered him.

"TY for the support haha! See you in a bit!" 

Yeah. See you in a bit. I answered back in my head. 

It became a routine for us, him filming for his daily Tiktok videos while I watch over him from my balcony. Funny, we became so accustomed to each other's presence already that he would refuse to start filming until I, his "cheerleader" showed up. While I couldn't see my face, I felt those itty bitty pin pricks swirling around my cheeks when he said that.

What a tease. I smirked to conceal the brewing redness on my face. 

With one last yawn and stretch, I got up from my bed to prepare my meal.

\----------

11:40 PM. I kept on rolling around my bed for, probably an hour? I've been having a really bad case of migraine since this afternoon, must be due to the heat. But I couldn't sleep. I kept my eyes shut but my brain is perfectly awake. 

Finally, my eyes flew open. Sigh. 

I fumbled for my phone at the bedside table and opened my messenger app. A green dot flashed on Stell's icon indicating that he's still online. 

I opened our chatbox and stared at it, both of my thumbs hovering on the type box. I frowned. 

Should I message him at this hour? Why would I even? What would I say? I'm bored? I can't sleep? Hey Stell, why are you still awake? Hey Stell, can you show me your latest dance? 

Ugh. Scratch that last one you creep. 

I remembered a scene from a movie that I watched years ago. When you feel indecisive, hold your breath while counting 1,2,3 fast then do it. Just do it. Otherwise, you're just giving yourself more room to entertain doubts.

I held my breath. 

One.

Two.

Three.

Sent.

I briskly pitched my phone onto the bed and I scooted to the opposite corner like I was running for my life. I buried half my face into a pillow, my other eye kept its gaze on my phone from the far end. Waiting for his reply felt like watching an explosive ready to blow. 

Ding!

I froze, and stared at my phone like an idiot.

Ding!

A second notification kicked me back to my senses. 

Ding!

I plunged into my bed at the third ring and scrambled to unlock my phone. I was ridiculously trembling and almost choked on my own saliva upon seeing all three messages coming from Stell. 

"Hey Sej!"  
"Yup! Still up. Can't sleep."  
"Why you still up though?"

His messages went. I uttered a silent chant to try and soothe my nerves down. Why am I even so uptight about this? Si Stell lang yan. I sighed heavily to let go of my pent-up jitters.

"I can't sleep din. Hmm, what're you doing?"

"Nothing. Just listening to some songs." 

"What're you listening to now?"

"Right now, 'Tulog na'. Sugarfree. Familiar?"

"Yes of course! I love that song too."

"Cool. Hey, want me to sing to you? Might help you doze off".

His response caught me a bit off guard. He did mention before that he used to sing at the church. Come to think of it, I've only ever heard him yell at me from the other building, so I've always been curious how his voice sounded like in an actual conversation. 

How he would sound like when he tells me his stories, or when he would laugh at his own jokes, or when he would lull me to sleep. I closed my eyes, relishing that vision. I'm taking that chance tonight.

"Uhh, sure? I guess. Want me to call? Or.."

"I'll call you. Give me a sec." He replied.

I placed a hand over my chest. There's this hammering feeling again, and a strange knot in my stomach that seemed more like an acid reflux. I felt like throwing up any minute. 

My phone buzzed in my hands and I quickly composed myself to take his call in. Alas, all my cool went out of the window when I realized he was calling through video. VIDEO. Shit. My throat suddenly felt parched. But I know I couldn’t let him wait for too long. 

I gathered all the courage in my system and threw a fist in the air. “You got this Sejun!”.

Hold breath. 

One.  
Two.  
Three.

I braced myself and pressed the accept button.


	4. Chapter 4

I braced myself and pressed the accept call button.

“Oh, hey Stell. Video Call? I thought voice lang.”

I made an effort to mask my voice with some bluff self-esteem. But I heard it crack anyway, betraying me. I was too preoccupied with my hysteria that I didn’t even realize I was talking to a black screen, except for my thumbnail on the upper right. My forehead creased. Poor data reception perhaps?

“I just want to see you too. Okay lang ba?” I heard him ask through that blackness.

I quivered. Tiny strands of hair on my nape stood on end. Did I forget to close the window? Or did I turn the AC on? I’m pretty sure I didn’t. Where is this cold coming from?

“Sejun?” He asked again, softly.

My gaze fell fixed on the empty screen, brimming with awe. There’s nothing more than a void in front of me, but he’s there, I hear him. His voice. Oh God, this voice. It sounded like a handful of velvet petals caressing my ears. So faint. So tender.

“Yes, yes. Of course!” I cried out. “I can’t see you though. Uhh, bad internet connection yata.”

“Ay ganon? Wait lang, wait lang. Let me fix”.

I licked my lips. They feel extra dry tonight for some reason. Then I heard his voice again. It’s reverberating within my skull. I shut my eyes tight, but it’s no use. I can still hear him. I shook my head to get rid of the echoes.

“Sejun! Sejun! Huy! Okay ka lang dyan?” 

I was stirred back up from that fleeting moment of delusion. I opened my eyes, to see another pair of dark eyes, looking remarkably amused, glaring back at me from my phone screen. My heart leapt into my throat, suffocating me.

“Andyan ka na pala!” I exclaimed. “I-I’m okay, sorry. Getting sleepy na rin yata”. 

Of course it was a lie. I wasn’t certain but I thought I saw a hint of disappointment in his eyes and I wanted so terribly to retract what I said.

“Ah ganon ba? So would you like to rest na?” 

“Hindi ah! Kumanta ka na dyan!” I cried out in a ludicrously high pitch.

I took a mental note to give myself a good beating later on. Why can’t I seem to restrain my own mouth lately? Had I been a criminal, I’d get myself jailed in no time, that’s for sure.

“Sej.” He mumbled softly. “Ang cute mo.” He said giggling.

It was the cutest thing I’ve seen all day, and the most embarrassing too. My face abruptly turned pink.

I couldn't recall how many times I've swallowed my spit, I lost count already. Plus my fingers had been too busy tearing off the stitches on my shirt's hem. What is this? What is going on exactly?

"Ewan ko sayo". I sneered at him with a side eye. "Dali na, kanta ka na."

He kept a smug look plastered on his face, apparently taking pleasure in my vulnerability. 

"Sabi mo eh. Ready?"

"Always." Another lie.

#####

"Tulog na Mahal ko.  
Hayaan na muna,  
natin ang mundong ito  
'Lika na, tulog na tayo"

His voice sailed into thin air, gently filling up the barren spaces of my desolate bedroom wall. 

"Tulog na Mahal ko.  
Wag kang lumuha,   
malambot ang iyong kama.  
Saka na mam'roblema"

My senses blurred, my vision became cloudy. I felt like my soul is being lifted out of my body, and transported to some uncharted lands. 

What is happening to me? What is this, Stell?

"Tulog na,   
hayaan na muna natin sila."

My eyes are open, but it felt like I'm inside someone else's dream. From that dream, I could see his face. Maybe I can touch it if I willed my hands to.

"Mamaya, hindi ka na nila   
kaya pang saktan.  
Kung matulog, matulog ka na."

I can see his smile, enveloped inside his strawberry Red lips. Moving ever so mildly as he sings. They looked so soft. I wondered how it would feel beneath my fingertips.

"Tulog na Mahal ko  
Nandito lang akong   
bahala sa iyo.  
Sige na, tulog na muna."

His eyes. I can see my reflection in those dark pools of eyes. I can drown in those anytime. Maybe the thickness of your lashes, or the depth of your eyelids can save me.

"Tulog na Mahal ko  
At baka bukas ngingiti ka sa wakas  
At sabay natin harapin ang mundo"

If I caressed your jawline, will I bleed? If I traced your nose, will I weep? If I touched your cheeks, will I burn? What is happening to me? What is this, Stell?

"Tulog na, hayaan na muna natin sila  
Mamaya, hindi ka na nila kaya pang saktan  
Kung matulog, matulog ka na"

I wonder how your hair would feel like entwined within my fingers. Will you let me?

"Tulog na, hayaan na muna natin sila  
Mamaya, hindi ka na nila kaya pang saktan  
Kung matulog, tulog ka na"

I hear his voice fading. I lift my hands, trying to chase the sound of his voice. Stell. Don't stop.

"Tulog ka na, matulog ka na."

What is happening to me? What is this, Stell?

#####

"Sejun?" He called, almost a whisper.

"Hmm?"

"Did you like it?"

Did I like it? I died and resurrected ten times over. You ask if I liked it? Are you kidding me?

"No I didn't." I answered flatly.

His mouth shifted into a scornful smirk. 

"Really? Kaya pala halos tumirik ka na kanina dyan." He snickered, enjoying my suddenly flustered state. 

I wanted to disappear right there and then. My head was throbbing in disgrace. Save your face Sejun. You've humiliated yourself enough. 

I mustered up the last drops of courage in my body and kept a straight face. I looked at him in the eyes, those lovely sunshine eyes, and repeated myself with conviction.

“I didn’t like it.”

I watched how his smirk vanished as quickly as it showed up. He look puzzled, must be scrutinizing whether I was telling the truth. When he couldn't uncover a hint of deception from my face, he pouted. He was about to say something but I cut him off.

"I loved it, Stell". I finally said.

I saw him stiffened for a fraction of a second before flashing a timid smile. His cheeks turned a pale scarlet. He looked so soft, so fragile.

I was surprised by the sound of my own voice. It sounded sincere, and brave. I loved the song, without question. But listening to it bluntly from his lips, watching him singing warmly and knowing it was intended for me, made it all the more overwhelming. It was wonderful.

“Para kang sira dyan.” He said, still blushing.

“Kilig ka?”

“Hindi kaya.”

I spent another couple of minutes just staring at him, studying every nook and cranny of his face. His fringe is cutely tied up in a little ponytail that wiggles every time he giggles. He has several piercings in his ears, and maybe a little less than ten moles scattered across his face, and a much larger mark on the left cheek. But I’m rather torn between his eyes and his lips. Both looked so soft, both I wanted to touch. I wonder if I’ll ever get to brush my lips on those.

I found him returning my gaze, he already stopped talking. Probably noticed that I wasn’t exactly paying attention. He smiled, and I smiled back, both knowing something’s brewing between us. Maybe it’s just me, maybe not. But this night will definitely plague me in my dreams, and I welcome it with arms wide open. 

“Good night Stell”.

“Good night Sej.”

I pressed the end call button and coiled in my bed. I will be sleeping soundly tonight.


	5. Chapter 5

Only twenty minutes more before the clock strikes 6 PM. On a typical season, the dark begins to fall at this hour. But this Summer has seen much longer daytimes. My eyes sought for the sun in the far west, preparing to set, spilling one final burst of oranges and gold in the looming night sky.

I double, triple checked my coffee table lodged here in the balcony. Luckily I was able to find an old yard of plaid linen in my drawer, underneath a shit-ton pile of unworn clothes. I dressed up my coffee table using it and somehow, it looked modest enough. Not that he could see this, but it gives a little touch of effort. I’d like to think he’d feel special that way.

I placed a sleek white plate in the middle, and my usual utensils along the sides and a wine glass just above the spoon. I did a little tweaking, re-arranging the tableware, my OC-ness emanating, until I was pleased. I smiled with content.

I fumbled for my phone inside my pocket and opened my messenger app. There was no need to search for his name at all, since he’s the only one in my inbox. After seeing him online, I began to type.

_“Stell?”_

_“Sej! Yep?”_

_“If you’re not busy, punta ka sa roof deck ng 6 PM”_

_“Hmm? Ano meron?”_

_“You’ll see. And wear something, uhm, nice”_

_“May ganon pa??”_

_“Oo, basta. Sige na ha?”_

_“Kinakabahan naman ako. Pero sige.”_

I let out a sigh, an unruly mixture of unease, pride and thrill. I glanced over my shoulder, eyeing towards the roof deck of Stell’s condo. I see his table had been arranged according to my instructions: one small table and a stool, cloth, white plate, a pair of spoon and fork and a wine glass. I laughed at the thought of having a wine glass without wine.

After one last check at my watch, I went back inside my unit to fix myself up.

#####

_“Hello Sej! Hala!”_ I heard Stell exclaimed from the other line. _“Grabe naman ‘to!”_

I was looking at him over from my balcony, savouring a sense of accomplishment as I watch him glared at the dinner table set-up in sheer disbelief. His left hand is over his mouth, his other hand holding his phone, placed over his ear, talking to me. He stood there motionless for about a minute before deciding to turn and face towards my direction.

_“Ayos ba?”_ I asked, gesturing a thumbs up at him, seeking for approval.

He raised a thumb to tell me he liked it. He couldn’t answer me straight but I could clearly hear him giggling from the other line, his hand still over his mouth. I remembered how he blushed during our video call a few nights ago, when I told him I loved his song. I wondered whether he’s blushing again right now.

I bit my lip to stifle a smile. This morning, I chanced upon their condo’s security guard roaming around the roof deck. Thanks to my trusty drone, I was able to organize this simple dinner surprise for Stell. Good thing the security was friendly and pretty much willing to help me out with the plan. He also coordinated with their cafeteria cook to make some pasta and mocktails. As soon as this lockdown is over, I’ll be sure to give this dude something nice.

_“Tama na kilig oy. Let’s eat?”_ I teased him. 

_“Di nga ako kinikilig!”_

_“Lolo mo. Kitang kita kaya kita dito oh.”_

He didn’t answer again but he kept on giggling. Hay Stell. What do I do with you?

Finally, we started dinner. I made some Chicken Pesto and an Iced Tea for myself, which surprisingly came out really good. Sadly, that’s all I have left in the fridge, which reminds me that I need to do some grocery shopping soon.

_“Grabe ang sarap.”_ Stell suddenly said which knocked me out of my short daydream. 

I was feeling a little braver so I called him again on video. He looked like a kid, munching on his meal ever so messily. I requested to prepare a Chicken Pesto meal for him as well. I could’ve requested for a different dish had I known he’d be this untidy, but at the same time, I feel some kind of warmth in my chest watching him in this raw and unpretentious state.

He kept on smearing olive oil all over his mouth and he wipes it off using the back of his hand. But he still misses some, on the sides of his lips, making it glisten underneath the roof deck lights. I so badly want to touch them. 

My eyes traveled from his lips to his neck, that gently moves each time he swallowed his food. I wondered how it would feel to snuggle against the nook of his neck and shoulder.

My eyes wandered further. He was wearing a black and white, printed long sleeved top, folded around his elbows. I guess this was the favorite shirt that he mentioned before. He looked so good on it. 

_“Sejun?”_

_“Hmm?”_

_“Masarap?”_

_“Masarap.”_

It was as though some invisible finger snapped in front of my face and I blinked, twice. Then I heard someone snickering. It was Stell, gawking at me with his eyes brimming with mischief. I could see my face from the video’s thumbnail, I was red AF.

_“Buti naman at nasasarapan ka.”_ He said with an all-knowing smile.

_“Ha?”_

_“Sa kinakain mo. Mabuti nasasarapan ka.”_

_“Ah, oo naman! Ewan ko sayo!”_

_“Gagalet?”_

He continued to tease. I grimaced at him and tried my best to ignore. The mouse always keeps on falling in its own trap and the cat rejoices. But there’s this strange sense of pleasure flooding my head to my toes each time he messes around with me. It’s almost addicting.

_“Oo nga pala Sej”_ he started, while chewing his food. _“Mag go-grocery ako tomorrow sa Greenbelt.”_

_“Oh, okay. Ingat”_ I said flatly. He rolled his eyes.

_“Baka gusto mong sumama?”_

And I stiffened once more. Is he asking me out? On a date? I gave myself an invisible whack on the head.

_“Ah, sige. Wala na rin laman ref ko eh. What time?”_

_“Mga 8am tayo meet sa ibaba? Agahan natin kasi mahaba pila for sure”._

_“Okay, sure!”_

I quickly set my alarm to 7 am. It would be odd to call this a date but waves of anticipation floored me. I couldn’t remove this budding smile from my mouth and I’m equally sure I’m blushing again at this minute. He would be snickering again, would be teasing me again, but I won’t feel embarrassed anymore. I just really want to see him, be with him a lot closer than a video call.

_“Sejun, thank you dito ha?”_ He said softly, smiling from ear to ear.

_“Welcome.”_ I smiled back. _“Malakas ka sa akin eh.”_

_“I’ll cook for you next time, dito tayo sa unit ko.”_

I knew he meant well but I couldn’t command my brain to stop picturing things. Me and Stell, in his condo unit, alone. Him, preparing meals for me. He’d probably look sweet in an apron with that little ponytail on. 

We continued to finish our meals and exchange stories like we usually do. He would still catch me when my mind drifts elsewhere, from time to time. The cycle never ends but I’m not complaining. My heart is full, and I wouldn’t want it any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This surprise dinner at the roof deck scene was inspired from a viral Tiktok video. Can't find it anymore though.


	6. Chapter 6

STELL POV

Thirty minutes past 7 in the morning. I woke up extra early today, just had salad and tea for breakfast. Nope, I am not on a diet. I just don't have anything in my fridge anymore. I took a mental note to stock up on some cereals and milk later at the grocery. 

I took my phone from the countertop and opened my messenger app. I hope Sejun's already awake. It says he's been inactive for the last 6 hours, but I sent him a message anyway.

_"Sej. Are you awake? I'm almost done."_ I typed in.

I put my phone down again and left to search for my face mask and a bottle of alcohol spray. In less than three seconds, my phone buzzed from a messenger notification. It was from Sejun. 

_"Morning Stell! Yep. Dito na ko sa lobby namin hehe."_ His message read. 

I laughed. We agreed to meet at 8 AM and here I am thinking I was too early, getting ready at 7:35 AM.

_"Lol whut? Aren't you a little too early?"_ I asked, amused.

_"I am. Excited kasi ako eh haha"_

_"Excited mag grocery?"_

_"Hmm, pwede? Pero mas excited akong makita ka."_

I bit my lip to keep myself from smiling like a moron. But my ears have turned hot red, forsaking me. I swallowed hard. Him being blunt like this feels different, and nice. But what exactly is happening? 

Thinking back a week ago, during our first video call, he was stuttering the whole time. Sometimes I'd catch him staring at me, but not really seeing nor hearing me, like his mind was floating elsewhere. I've always wondered what's inside his head.

There were occasions that his eyes would fall on my lips, on my neck, and he would blush. Then I would tease him about it and he would blush even harder. He looked really soft and adorable, especially when he smiles. His eyes would almost disappear to a straight line and his braces are on full display. 

What he doesn't know is that I have a hard time breathing each time his face turns pink. Whenever he stares at my lips and he appears to be fantasizing about.. something. It gives me a different kind of ache. He makes me feel things. 

Ironically, just after last night's dinner, he seems to be more upfront now, with his words, with his messages. He's become a lot more candid, expressive even. And I'm the one starting to be caught unprepared.

_"Lolo mo, excited!"_ I replied, which he put a laughing reaction to.

I shook my head. Hay Sejun, what do I do with you?

After one last spot check in my mirror, I grabbed my bag and prepared to leave when a thought randomly popped in my head that made me stop on my tracks. Darn. How do I greet him though? Do I high-five him? Shake his hand? Put an arm over his shoulder? Hug him? Kiss him? 

I choked at the last one. _Beso kasi Stellvester, hindi kiss!_ You perverted piece of sh-

_"Can't wait to see you Stell :)"_ says his latest message. 

My heart leapt to my throat. _Shit. Ang pa-fall._ I bit my lip again and sprinted to the door. Grocery shopping has never gotten me this excited.

My eyes began to search for him as soon as I got off the elevator. I was speed-walking my way to the exit when a man in an oversized red hoodie and black face mask from outside the building caught my attention. My heart was beginning to thump, so I assumed it was him. I was nearing the exit door when red hoodie guy started waving at me. 

He looked so cute. Both of his arms were over his head and waving sideways like a long lost friend. My heart started beating unusually fast. I darted towards the exit, and ran over to him, crossing the street in only three strides. It was a short distance but I was chasing my breath. My mind kept telling me to halt, but my feet kept on running and my arms automatically flung to my sides. I was confused with my own body reactions and realized a bit late that I was, in fact, running over to give him a hug. 

Sejun's eyes widened in surprise and quickly propelled his arms forward, signalling me to STOP. RIGHT. THERE.

Instantly, my shoes skidded to a stop before I almost tripped over him. I knew I looked like a complete idiot. _Ginagawa mo Stell?!_ I mentally shouted at myself. 

Sejun's hands are still in front of him, then he gestured me to move aside and I was confused. He pulled his face mask down, displaying little stubbles of hair on his chin and jawline. Hmm, rugged. 

_"Stell, three feet apart dapat."_ He said. _“Bawal hug.”_

It took my brain a little while to process what he said and I was mortified, suddenly feeling self-conscious.

_"Ah, o-oo nga pala."_ I stammered, scratching my head. _"S-social distancing. Sorry hehe."_

He smirked at me while shaking his head, pulled his face mask back up and started walking. While I trailed along behind him, attempting to keep my ‘social’ distance. 

##### 

We were treading by Legazpi Street, side by side, one meter apart. Greenbelt 1 from our condominiums takes only about twenty minutes by brisk-walking. 

I lift my head up to take a glimpse of the sky, the clouds, the birds, and breathed the surrounding air deeply into my lungs. I missed this, my life outside. It has been almost a month since I’ve been confined in my condo. I could vaguely remember how distressed I was when I found out about the implementation of the quarantine. Giving up my almost daily night-outs with friends for an entire month felt suffocating to me.

Until I met Sejun. This pseudo-stalker who’s been watching me dance at the roof deck everyday, who used a racing drone to get my name, who set-up a surprise dinner for me, who stammers whenever I tease him, without him noticing my ears are blushing at the same time. I was already content seeing and talking to him on video calls. But now he’s here, really here, three feet away.

The idea made me frown as I recalled my epic failure a while ago. I can’t believe I’ve totally forgotten about social distancing. To think I was worrying about whether to shake his hand or kiss him, I just made a total fool out of myself in front of Sejun. 

I was in that thought when he called me out of my whims. His mask covers half of his face so that I can only see his eyes. But I see them crinkle, so I knew he was smiling, or laughing for that matter.

_“Stell.”_ He called. _“Okay ka lang ba?”_

His smiling eyes started to look a little worried. I told him I was okay and fell silent again, awkwardness brewing and I can feel the heat pooling in my ears. I could tell from my peripheral vision that he’s been throwing me glances from time to time but I was too embarrassed to glance back. Ugh! This wasn’t how I imagined it to be. I was starting to feel upset about the situation when I suddenly felt warmth enveloping my hand.

My eyes quickly darted to my hands, and I see another hand over mine, fumbling through my fingers, attempting to entwine his between mine. 

I then looked up only to find Sejun’s dark eyes looking back at me. His eyes were intense, ublinking, trying to say something that I couldn’t spell out. I could clearly see the fluid strands of his hair, they were jet black, a little curly on the ends but they looked so soft as they glisten under the sunlight. 

He pulled down his mask again, allowing me to see his face. My eyes travelled along from his eyes, to the tip of his nose, to his plumpy cheeks, and to the baby stubbles nestled on his upper lip and jaw. I wondered if these stubbles would feel ticklish against my neck.

And finally, my eyes stopped on his lips. His soft, pale pink lips that were slightly open because of his braces. He was so close that I can smell his breath, the scent of fresh mint, and its warmth brushing against my face. 

I swallowed heavily, my breathing became rough. I couldn’t take my eyes away from his lips. I felt some kind of gravity pulling me to it. I wondered how they would taste like against my strawberry flavoured lip balm.

_“Stell.”_ He whispered. I watched his lips moved as he called my name.

_“Sej.”_ I whispered back, trying to regain my consciousness. _“A-ano to?”_

_“I just want to hold your hand for a bit”._

He held my hand for a brief moment but it felt like an eternity to me. After a while, he let go, and I almost chased his touched. He strode back to where he was earlier, a meter away from me. He pulled his face mask back up and looked at me, his eyes smiling again, then continued walking.

I placed a hand over my chest, my heart is beating like crazy. 

We spent the next ten minutes in the street stealing glimpses of each other. What a way to start the day.

##### 

1:00 PM. We are on our way back home. It was a bad idea wearing this knitted shirt under this sullen afternoon heat. But then again, I have yet to wear some sunscreen since I’ve ran out of it. I cannot risk my complexion. Better safe than sorry, or as they say, _tiis pogi._

I tried stretching out my arms and my back since my muscles are starting to burn. It felt like such a long day already. We reached Greenbelt 1 at exactly 8:20 this morning and the queue to the mall entrance was a mile-long. When we got inside, there was another long-ass queue to the grocery entrance. Good thing they provided chairs for the shoppers but it still took us hours and hours of waiting since they let shoppers in by batch. 

I think we waited for almost three hours before we got inside the grocery. I was pretty impatient, but Sej looked chill about it. I would’ve wanted to converse a little but he was seated right behind me, another three feet away. He wore his earphones on but would always smile at me whenever I glance back at him. Sometimes he would wink. _Psh.Tease._

When we were lead inside, Sej and I separated ways since we both have different items to purchase. Plus everyone was in a rush hence I need to be focused and not distracted. 

I lingered some time at the meat section and was dismayed that most of the cuts I needed were already sold out. I just took in whatever I could and went straight to the vegetables and hoarded like crazy. I also filled my cart with a bunch of cereals and milk, cookies, noodles and some canned food. 

Finally, I went over to the Beauty and Skincare section and bought two huge bottles of sunscreen. My heart was brimming with joy.

I met up with Sejun outside the grocery after paying at the cashier and we went back home.

Now we are approaching our respective buildings and my mind is drifting again. We have both been silent, probably a little awkward, along the way. I mean, how do you really connect with someone when he’s a meter away and busy carrying two huge grocery bags? Not really a good time.

We reached our condos, and I started to falter again. How do I say goodbye? Do I just nod my head and go in? Do I say I had a great time! How exactly do you say goodbye to the person who held your hands just this morning, and almost kissed you?

_“Stell.”_ He called out. _“Una na ko.”_

_“S-sige. Thanks sa pagsama Sej.”_

Well, that’s how you say goodbye, I guess? No frills and fancy. Just plain and simple goodbye. I don’t know why I’m even worrying about this. I started to turn around and head for the entrance, shaking off the confusion. But then I stopped just at the middle of the flight of stairs. Something does not feel right. I slowly turned around and saw Sejun’s back, only a couple of steps away from their building’s entrance. I stood there immobile, uncertain of what I wanted to do.

Before I know it, I was putting the bags of groceries down the steps and started walking towards Sejun’s building, leaving my things behind. _Social distancing can kiss my ass._ My walk became brisk steps, until I was already running to him. It was only across the street but why did it suddenly seem so far?

_“Sej!”_ I called with urgency, with need.

I enclosed the remaining few steps between us, until I could reach his shoulder. I pulled my mask down and spun him around to face me just in time to meet my lips landing at the side of his mouth. 

_Oh shit._

His eyes grew wide in astonishment, so did mine. I didn’t expect his face mask was pulled down as well.

He inadvertently dropped his bags of groceries on the pavement with a minute crash. That served as my signal to get moving, fast! Out of panic, I prepared to run off, and probably hide, never to be seen again. But his hands were already on my wrist and he yanked me to him with little force. I felt woozy as I am once again an inch away from his face. The tip of his nose almost touching mine. 

_“Where do you think you’re going?”_ he whispered. _“After kissing me like that? Stell?”_

I opened my mouth, wanting to apologize, but nothing came out except for my heavy breathing. I felt my knees tremble and I would’ve probably collapsed if he wasn’t holding me. I swallowed hard.

_“S-sorry Sej.”_ I stammered once again. _“Hindi ko sinasad-”_

I wasn’t able to finish my sentence when his lips touched the corner of my mouth. 

My breathing stopped, and so did everything around me. My mind was blank and I could only see an explosion of colors, prancing around, enshrouding my consciousness. _His lips, oh god._ His lips felt so soft, and a little moist, fusing along with the scent of his minty breath and shampooed hair. 

It was quick. Perhaps, just a second longer than what I did. But I was drenched, no, I was engulfed into a bottomless pit of bewilderment and delusions, and I couldn’t get myself out.

_“You were saying?”_ he asked, testing me.

_“H-ha?”_ was all I could say.

He snickered and grabbed his bags of groceries on the floor. He gestured somewhere behind me, and I followed his gaze.

_“Yung mga grocery bags mo iniwan mo dun. Baka manakaw yun”_

_“Ah. Oo nga. Oo nga pala. S-sige.”_

I started running back, but leaving my brain somewhere. My feet took off rather swiftly and with just a few strides, I was already at my building again, fixing my grocery bags. I looked over my shoulder and saw Sejun still standing at wherever I left him. He nodded at me, motioning me to go inside. He winked at me before he turned around and disappeared inside his building.


	7. Chapter 7

STELL POV

9:00 PM. Two days have passed since Sejun and I went to the grocery. Two days have gone by and I still haven’t forgotten his silkened lips pressing against the corner of my mouth. I touched the spot where his kiss lingered and my eyes automatically closed. His warm breath, his faint afternoon sweat, his shampoo, I remember his scent all too vividly, like he’s somewhere close.

I tried to rummage through my memories, but I couldn’t recall my heart pounding ever so madly, like what Sejun did to mine. It was a feeling so foreign to me, but something I’d long to feel once more. 

My ears felt hot, I’m probably blushing again.

_Sigh._ I twisted to the other side of my bed, grabbing my hotdog pillow and placing it in between my thighs. _I miss him._ There’s another thing I miss about him. I miss teasing him, and seeing him blush and stutter. I miss his wandering eyes, looking spellbound as he stares at my face. Ugh. It's driving me nuts!

My phone unexpectedly buzzed from a notification, knocking me out of my reverie. I unlocked my screen and saw it was from Tiktok. Thousands of likes and comments flood my notifications every day, boosting my ego and motivating me to upload at least one video daily. The thought made me frown. Only Sejun’s like seems to be the only thing that matters to me now.

I was in that chain of thought when an idea suddenly popped out of nowhere. Why on earth have I not thought about this before? A mischievous grin slowly twisted on my lips. I opened my messenger app and started calling Sejun.

SEJUN POV

Stell is calling, and my heart is thumping again. I let a few more rings before I finally answered his call.

_“Hello, Stell?”_

_“Sej.”_ He started, his voice sounded raspy. _“Busy ka?”_

_“Nope. Just preparing lang to go to bed. Something wrong?”_

Stell very rarely calls me. It’s either we chat, text, or video call, but voice call? This is probably just the second time. The first one was when I organized a dinner date for him at the roof deck. So him, calling me now is a bit of a surprise, making me worry somehow.

_“No, no. Nothing’s wrong.”_ He said. _“I just, uhm, well.”_ His voice trailed off.

I waited for him to go on talking, but he fell silent for a full minute. I couldn’t hear anything much from the other line except his breathing. I nudged him to continue.

_“Hmm? You just what Stell?”_

_“Ano, kasi..”_

_"Ano?"_

_"I..I.."_

_“Tagal naman!”_

_“I miss you Sej.”_

He blurted out of all a sudden, making me regret pushing him to speak up. And now I find it hard to breathe again. Creepy crawlers are feasting on my cheeks as my brain started dumping me with memories from two days ago.

I held his hands. It was rather quick, but I felt it. Millions of electric current went charging within my veins, trying to escape through my fingertips as I try to lace his hands with mine. I knew right there and then that his hand would fit mine perfectly, like a missing piece to complete a puzzle. It was meant to happen, it was where it should always be. 

That was a spur of the moment vulnerability. When I saw him running towards me, looking to embrace me, I almost welcomed it. Good thing though that my logical reasoning kicked in and told him to stop. Otherwise, it would impose a problem for the both of us.

But he sulked on it while we’re on our way to the mall and I wanted to tell him it was okay. I looked around then, making sure nobody could see us, before I swiftly closed the 3 feet gap in between.

When I held his hand, I could no longer tell whether it was me reassuring him, or it was for me, setting myself free from inhibitions. All I could think of was, I wanted to touch him so bad. It was all I ever wanted during the past month.

I tried so hard to contain myself throughout the day, acting as if I was okay but my insides were all tied up in knots. But my heart felt at ease in his presence. It felt content knowing at least I can bring home the memory of the warmth of his hand on my hand. 

But that afternoon, before we parted ways, he kissed me. I couldn't tell if he actually intended to since he looked shocked and apologetic, leaving me confused. A little disappointed even. My lips almost begged for that kiss. 

There were so many questions ransacking my mind that instant and I wanted an answer. I wanted that kiss. I needed that. So I pulled him closer to me and tasted the corner of his mouth. I guess that's all my heart could take in at that moment. 

Now he's saying he misses me. _This man is driving me insane!_ Two days of not seeing him felt like two years.

_"I miss you too, Stell."_

He fell quiet yet again after telling him I miss him. It exasperates me that I couldn’t figure out what’s going through his head. 

_"Stell, I said I miss you too."_ I repeated.

_"I heard you the first time Sej. Hindi lang ako makapaniwala."_

_"What do you mean?"_

_"That you miss me too."_

I was left confused again. Has this guy gone mad? Doesn't he have even the slightest idea that I like him? And every little thing he does drains all the power in my body? I've been very transparent with my feelings since day one. He should know about it by now. He has caught me countless times staring at him like he's some kind of a deity, and my uncontrollable blushing, my stammering, me, watching his Tiktok practices basically nearly all day, the surprise dinner. Have I not showed him enough?

_"How can I not miss you? Hinalikan mo ko diba?"_

_"Aaargghh Sej! Don't remind me!"_

_"Ha? Bakit? Didn't you want to kiss me?"_

I heard him mumble something on the line but one that I could barely understand.

_“Stell ba’t ba bulong ka ng bulong dyan ha?”_

_“Ehh nahihiya kasi ako, eto naman!”_

_“Saan ka ba nahihiya? Yung hinalikan mo ko?”_

_“Arrgghh ayan ka na naman Sejun!”_

_“Sabihin mo na kasi na gus-“_

_“Oo syempre gusto ko! Paulit ulit? Hay naku!”_

I swallowed hard. It was I who kept on prodding him to speak up but in the end, I’d be the one caught off guard. Is this conversation, by any chance, going somewhere I wanted it to? Can I possibly take it? _Sejun, Game K N B?_

I swallowed another huge chunk of my spit to hydrate my scorching throat. I didn’t see this coming but we’re at the point of no return. Come hell or high water, I have to get this off my chest. 

_“Stell..” I whispered. “I like you.”_

STELL POV

_Stell, I like you._

_Stell, I like you._

_Stell, I like you._

Those last words he said kept echoing inside my ears. I haven’t taken a breath for god knows how long. I think, my brain just stopped working.

I called Sejun just because I missed hearing his voice, as well as a naughty plan at hand. I only wanted to tease him since I wanted to see him blush and look shy again, like before. But here he is, rendering me dumbstruck with each time he opens his mouth. Not that I don’t like it, I. JUST. WASN’T. PREPARED. 

Now how do I even answer him? My voice got stuck somewhere deep down. Plus my whole body’s trembling, really trembling. _Kinikilig ako gago._

I haven't said anything. And he was quiet on the other line, probably waiting for me to say something. I cleared my throat but he cut me off even before I was able to talk.

_"Stell? Wala ka bang sasabihin?"_

_"W-wait lang Sej. Nakakabigla ka naman kasi."_

_"Ikaw tong nagsimula dyan eh."_

_"Eh oo nga, pero kasi.."_

_"Pero ano? Don't you like me?"_

_"No Sej.."_

_"Hala sya?"_

_"No, I mean, yes. Ano ba yan! Of course I like you Sejun!"_

Another moment of calm passed, it was ghost-quiet. All of a sudden, I heard him giggling. The timid sort of giggle that I badly miss. 

_"Saya ka na nyan?"_

_"Ikaw kasi eh. Gusto pa ginugulat haha"._

He sounded so cute, and happy about it. Then I found myself giggling along with him. It was as though a weight was lifted off my chest and everything felt brand new. 

_"Gusto kita Sej. Gustung gusto."_

I guess there's no more hiding now. It does feel different, and strange, but exciting at the same time. And I'd willingly succumb to this feeling all day, every day. 

The person I like likes me back. 

_"Sabi mo yan ha! Walang bawian!"_

_"Walang bawian Sej"._

And I simply cannot ask for more.


	8. Chapter 8

STELL POV

_"Oo nga pala Sej."_ I began. _"May iba talagang reason kung bakit ako tumawag hehe"._

_"Ay ganon? About what?"_

_"Tiktok talaga eh"._

_"Tiktok? Ang layo sa pinag usapan natin ah"._

_"Ikaw eh dinistract mo ko"._

Then he laughed again and I smiled. I felt slightly guilt-ridden though about this “plan”. But if this is the only way to bring back the blushing, stammering, sweating, trembling Sejun, I guess it’s worth the try. Sorry in advance Sej. I hope you won’t find it HARD sleeping tonight. HE HE HE.

SEJUN POV

Stell ended the call a few minutes ago. He said he needed to do something quick but he would call me back as soon as he's done. I fixed a bowl of milk and cereal while waiting for his call. I couldn't help but smile while recalling our conversation earlier. _He likes me too._ I shook my head to keep my cheeks from blushing. 

Suddenly, my phone rang. It was Stell, and he was calling me on video. My heart skipped a beat. Our first Video Call after the confession. My cheeks finally erupted in a bright red shade. 

_Okay Sejun. You can do it!_ I cheered for myself mentally, then I pressed the accept call button. 

Aaaand, he was nowhere to be found. I could only see his empty bed from the screen. From that angle, I could tell that his phone was hanging from or clamped to some object. A tripod, from the looks of it. And the screen was facing towards his bed. 

I almost jumped when Stell showed up from the corner, without warning. But I could only see his face, like he only tilted his head sideways.

_"Hi Sejuuuuun!"_

_"Stell. Ang hyper? Magkausap lang tayo kanina."_

_"Eehhh syempre. So ayun, may ipapapanood lang ako sayo saglit ha?"_

_"Okay. Ano ba yun? Saka bakit ka nagtatago?"_

_"Wait lang. Nakahubad pa kasi ako."_

I choked on my cereal and almost spurted the food inside my mouth. _WTF?_

I felt dehydrated all of a sudden. Water. I need water, fast. I frantically stood up from the dining table and took out a pitcher of water from the fridge. I filled my glass with ice cubes up to the brim. 

_"Anong ginawa mo Sej?"_

_"Ano..kumuha lang ako water. Medyo mainit kasi."_

_"Ahhhh..okay"._ He said. 

Was it just me? Or I saw him smirk while saying that?

I was taking a sip of water when he finally revealed himself on the screen. He tilted his screen upwards a bit so that I could only see his hair, down to his bare shoulders and a little of his chest. My mouth felt drier than ever.

His hair gleamed under his night light. A sign that it was wet. Some droplets of water cascading down his temples and onto his neck. A clump of damp hair clung to the left side of his face. I suddenly remembered his strawberry-scented shampooed hair two days ago. If I leaned closer to my screen, would I be able to take a whiff of his scent again? My eyes closed, eyelids fluttering, wishing I could smell his hair.

When my eyes flew open, all I could see were his cherry red lips. I remembered how I almost tasted those. The tip of his tongue leisurely flickered in and out of his mouth, licking his lips, before sinking his teeth against the lower lip, nibbling it. I gritted my teeth. One day, I will be able to suck that off your mouth, Stellvester.

Little by little, I could feel the temperature around my room rising. I was sure as heck my AC is running properly. But beads of sweat started trickling down from my forehead. I wiped it off with the back of my hand. _Ang init, shit._

Stell re-adjusted the screen once more to a lower angle. The beads of water from his hair are still dripping along the bare skin of his shoulders. My eyes wandered about his neck, showing a calm rope of vein underneath his lovely tanned skin. 

My eyes roamed further along his décolletage area, letting me take a peek of his muscular chest.

_"Sejun"._ He whispered. _"Ang bibig."_

_"H-ha? Anong bibig?"_

_"Kanina ka pa nakanganga dyan. Baka pasukan ng langaw"._

My entire face turned hot red. I wanted so badly to evaporate.

_"Ha?! Hindi ah! Bwisit ka Stell!"_

He laughed heartily, his shoulders rattling. Then he began putting his shirt on so I had to look away. 

_"Okay na. May damit na po."_ He retorted.

I turned my head ever so slowly, cautiously, like something treacherous is looming over me. When I turned completely, he was already dressed up in a white muscle tee, arms crossed over his chest and smirking at me. 

_"Sej, so ayun nga kasi. Gumawa ako two different choreos para sa TikTok."_

_"And?"_

_"Sabihin mo sakin kung ano mas maganda para yun ang iuupload ko ha?"_

I rolled my eyes. What do I even know about Tiktok? But it seems I didn’t have an option to refuse as he began playing the tune in the background. He made a couple of steps backwards so that I can see him from head to toe. The music played along, a Korean song performed by a female artist. He made me listen to this before, _‘Gotta Go’_ by Chungha if I remembered right.

The heat intensified as he began gyrating his hips as soon as the song started. Oh god, wait. I was not prepared for this. 

His eyes were fixed on me, looking at me intently, as if warning me that I’m not allowed to take my eyes off him. And honestly, there was no need for it. I was captivated the moment he moved his body.

He occasionally brushes his damp hair up with his fingers, the same long and bony fingers that I held two days ago. _Shit._ Even that looks sexy. As if he wasn’t satisfied enough, he would lay his thumb on his lower lip, slithering it to the side smoothly, allowing me another glimpse of that naughty tongue of his that couldn’t seem to keep still inside his mouth.

He continued rolling his body, and the frail material of his tee was no match for the lean muscles underneath, much less the silhouette of his nipples, trying to paint themselves against the fabric. The hard muscles on his abdomen prominently mapped themselves through the shirt. It also didn’t help that the arm hole treads all the way down his waist, exposing more nakedness inside. 

Watching him like this is siphoning every ounce of strength out of my body.

Water. I really, really, badly need to take a glass of water.

As if he understood my thoughts, his finger lingered over his chest, and slowly trickled it downwards, along his slender torso, and stopped just a little above his abdomen. His eyes are still on me, his mouth slightly gaping, appearing to be pleasing himself with the sensation created by his own touch. 

Suddenly, the same hand slid down in between his thighs, and started pulling his hand up again but very slowly. A lot slower than what is deemed safe. I tried to look away, but my eyes wouldn’t oblige. My vision fell fixed on that hand between his legs, and what lies beneath. 

I swallowed hard as my eyes quickly travelled to the obvious lump under his sweat shorts. I clenched my fists, my nails digging deep into my palms as something in me started to ache. I couldn’t watch this anymore. I was about to stand up and leave when the music stopped.

Thank goodness. Somehow, I feel relieved. Or not.

_“Ano Sejun? Okay ba? Sexy ba?”_ he asked eagerly, all smiles.

_Sexy ba?_ I wanted to punch him. Is he seriously asking me whether I find that sexy? And he looked so innocent with that question, like wtf is wrong with you Stell?

_“Y-yeah. It’s..sexy”._ I answered in monotone, trying to drag that last word out. 

It felt like my knees would crumble the moment I stand up. So I remained seated, with a serious scowl on my face. _I have to end this call or you will be the death of me, Ajero._

_“Gusto mong makita yung isa pang dance?”_

_“Please no.”_

_“Aww, why?”_

_“Sa ibang araw na lang Stell.”_

Or better yet, never. Don’t ever dance like that again, not in front of me, if you can’t do something about this. I winced as the pain in my abdomen worsened. I was still gritting my fist. This is so not good. I need to relieve myself.

_“Sej, okay ka lang?”_

_“Yes. Please, Stell. Have to go. Let’s talk tomorrow.”_

He pouted. Cute. But no. 

_“Hmm, sige Sejun. Good night. Dream of me”._ He said, then winked at me and abruptly ended the video call without saying goodbye.

I remained on my chair, immobile, unwillingly replaying his dancing in my head. Something in me throbbed. _Darn you Stell._ I hurriedly stood up and bustled to the bathroom.


	9. Chapter 9

STELL POV

8:55 PM. I already took a quick warm bath and just currently completing the last steps of my skin care routine. Five minutes left before 9 PM and I couldn’t contain my excitement.

Sejun and I agreed that we will spend every Friday night, starting tonight, watching movies together. He thinks it’s a great way to connect and add a bit of getting-to-know each other more sort of activity. It amazes me that he actually considers such stuff on a deeper, more significant degree whereas I could only think of ways on how to appropriately flirt with him. Not that I don’t reflect on it but because I’m still unsure of how much he actually likes me, likes me. 

The attraction we have for each other is unquestionable. My nerves get all fired up at the mere sound of his scruffy voice or the sight of his lips which always looked so inviting to devour. To think that we haven’t really spent time with each other, face to face nor skin to skin, but I’m sure as hell the feeling is mutual. Which is why I agreed to this movie dates every Friday, which we of course, intend to carry on after this lockdown. We’ll just have to do with online streaming for now.

I haven’t been in any relationship for a while so I guess it’s about time to allow myself to have a bit of fun, and be taken cared of, while having someone to take care of too. I blushed just by thinking about it; real hugs, real kisses, real touches and so much more, pretty soon. I blushed even harder.

I headed to the kitchen to prepare some snacks and drinks since I still have a few minutes left. I placed everything on a tray and brought it over to my bed. I opened my laptop and scanned through a bunch of Netflix movies that we could potentially opt for. _Hmm, so many Korean Dramas._ I wonder which kind of movies are Sejun into? He’s nerdy after all, but I do hope he doesn’t make me watch those four-hour-long science-y stuff. Please. Thinking about it makes me cringe.

At exactly 9 PM, he called me on video. He still has his towel wrapped around his head. _Aah_. Fresh from the shower, and I could tell he’s freshly shaven too. God he looks so good in pajamas as well. 

He flaunted my favourite smile, his braces on display and scrunching his eyes while holding up a plate of food and his drinks.

_“Wow, anong snacks mo dyan Sej?”_

_“Nagprito lang ako hotdogs and made some red tea.”_

_“Hotdogs talaga? Nahiya ka pa, sana nagsaing ka na rin.”_

_“Bakit ba? Favorite ko kaya tong papakin.”_

He pouted and my heart just melted. How can he be this soft and yet be so masculine at the same time? _Sexy. ___

__I sent him a short list of the Netflix movies that I made earlier while browsing through the gallery. Surprisingly, he declined and didn’t even bother looking at it. He said he already has a movie in mind and he promised we’d watch the other movies next Friday. I got a little curious and prodded him which movie he chose but he only answered me with a dubious smile. _Something smells fishy.__ _

__

___“Ready Stell?”_ _ _

___“Ready when you are.”_ _ _

__

__He sent me the title of the movie, which is rather odd. It was something I’ve never heard of before. I typed it in the search bar and the teaser photo, as well as the movie synopsis popped up. I must have clicked it wrong? I searched for it again but the same film shows up. I creased my forehead._ _

__

___“Sej, sure ka ba sa title?”_ I asked as I type._ _

___“Tama yan Stell.”_ _ _

___“Weird kasi nung lumalabas eh.”_ _ _

___“Ano bang search results mo dyan?”_ _ _

___“Thai BL movie lang yung nandito eh.”_ _ _

__

__Then he didn’t answer me anymore so I looked him up at the screen. A huge, cunning smile is plastered across his face, his eyebrows going up and down. It took me a few seconds to acknowledge the situation and my mouth just fell open in disbelief. You cannot be serious._ _

__

___“I am serious Stell.”_ He answered as though he heard my thoughts._ _

___“Nanonood ka ng ganito Sej?”_ _ _

___“Not really. It was recommended to me and the reviews are good.”_ _ _

___“But..hindi ba ‘to porn?”_ _ _

___“Meh. Expect a ton of sex scenes daw but I’m after the story line naman.”_ _ _

___“Uhh. Okay, so..final answer na yan?”_ _ _

___“Just give it a chance.”_ _ _

__

__I guess he’s pretty settled with the idea and I’m in no position to decline, so I just raised both my hands up in defeat. Alright then, _welcome to the BL world, Ajero._ _ _

__Sejun nodded to me one last time from the screen, urging me to start playing the movie so we can watch instantaneously. I lodged my earphones on and with shaky fingers, I pressed on the play button._ _

__

__#####_ _

__

__We are about 45 minutes into the movie but I felt like it’s been dragging on for ten hours. TOO. MANY. SEX. SCENES, a whole lot more than what I bargained for, although the plot is a bit twisted and I meant that in a good way. It was skillfully written and well executed, I’ll give them that. But to be honest, the amount of sex scenes is making me, rather uncomfortable, down there._ _

__I pulled my sweat shorts’ fabric away from my crotch. It was getting a little tight and that is not a good sign. How much longer do I have to endure this? Another hour? Two? I wonder how Sejun is doing. He seems to be so engrossed with the movie since we started watching. I can’t be the only one suffering here._ _

__I was in that thought when I got distracted by the sound of his loud chewing. My eyes looked up at Sejun’s screen, and I gasped silently. _Fuck?__ _

__Sejun was munching on his hotdogs. Or sucking is the more appropriate word. He’s holding the guiltless food by hand, shoving it in and out of his mouth so excruciatingly slow laced with some obscene slurping sounds of his saliva. His eyelids were fluttering as he continued sucking on his food, immersed in his own euphoria._ _

__Eventually, his tongue slowly crawled its way out, sinfully licking the phallic snack from top to bottom and sucking it again after._ _

__He did it twice, the second one he did at an even more painstakingly slow pace. Upon finishing the second one, he placed his oil-coated finger near his mouth and his tongue made its way out again, licking the digit from the base to the nail before sucking it whole. Sejun, finger fucking his mouth is all I could see right now._ _

__I started to sweat, my breathing sharp. _Sejun, what the hell are you doing?__ _

__My trembling hands intuitively went over to my crotch. I need not look down to know I already have an obvious tent in my shorts. I swallowed heavily as I caressed it, in the hopes of subduing the heat breeding in my groins. But Sejun wasn’t finished just yet._ _

__He looked at me straight in the eyes, a look reeking of lust, as he held the glass of his red tea up, the metal straw brushing against his lips menacingly. It lingered there for a couple of seconds before his tongue started grazing its sizes, up and down, nonstop. Not once did he take his eyes off me. _Shit. It hurts. It hurts so bad.__ _

__I pressed the space bar to pause the movie and inhaled deeply before I spoke up, the struggle evident in my voice._ _

__

___“Sej. I need to uh..do something real quick. Ok lang?”_ _ _

___“Hmm? Anong gagawin mo?”_ _ _

___“Ano, basta quick lang ‘to. You can go on watching.”_ _ _

__

__I no longer waited for his answer and I stood up, setting my laptop aside. I kept my movements cautious, one hand trying to cover up my crotch to keep him from seeing my hard on. I tiptoed my way to the toilet, just a few steps away from my bed, pulled my shorts down to my legs, and started pumping._ _

__Ah shit. I was quite hard already. I would’ve probably climaxed even without friction had I continued watching Sejun finger fucking his mouth, or blowing off his straw. I’m sure as hell he’s trying to get back at me for teasing him last time. It wasn’t the best idea, but I didn’t expect him to be capable of doing the same. He’s so much worse._ _

__I began to pump faster. _Fuck._ This feels so good, but I need to get back there quick before he notices. I bit my tongue to refrain myself from making any noise. _Faster Stell. Harder._ I began to sweat like crazy, my knees turning jelly. I placed one hand on the wall for support. _Shit. I’m close.__ _

__

___“Uhh..fuck..Stell”_ _ _

__

__I suddenly froze, my pumping slowed down. What the fuck was that? That couldn’t have been me. I held my breath to focus on the sound._ _

__

___“Aaaah, Stell, tangina, don’t stop aaahhhh.”_ _ _

__

__It felt like an ice-cold gust of wind blew across my nape and caught me chills throughout my body. The sound was coming from my laptop. _Tangina Sejun, anong ginagawa mo?_ My loins burned all the more and I resumed pumping. Sejun was still moaning, his raspy voice ringing in my ears loud and crisp. I began to imagine Sejun on his knees, in front of me, his mouth wrapped around my cock, sliding in and out. I grabbed a handful of his hair and started thrusting my hips deeper into his mouth. _ _

__

___“Tangina..uhngg..Sejun..shit. I’m close”._ I cried out. No more hang-ups._ _

__

__I couldn’t hold it in for another second. _FUUCCKKK!_ I burst a wild, sobbing orgasm, all over my hand and shooting ropes of cum into the wall, some spurting into the toilet seat. _ _

__

___“Ahhh, fucking hell, Sejun.”_ _ _

__

__I held on tight against the wall, gasping desperately for air, otherwise I’d crumple on the floor. I haven’t climaxed in a while, not one as staggering as this one. It felt fucking good, but my throat is parched, and I’m out of my wits. My entire body is trembling and all I need right now is to lie down._ _

__I hurriedly cleaned up my mess with wet tissues and changed into a new pair of shorts and shirt. I wondered if he knew. Was I too loud? I swallowed hard before deciding to go back to bed, before facing him again. Maybe there’s no need to hide, but I’m embarrassed as heck. I haven’t prepared to present myself in such a raw and intimate state._ _

__I climbed on my bed ever so carefully, as though any kind of noise I’d make will meet my doom. I cleared my throat._ _

__

___“Uhm, I’m back.”_ I said softly._ _

__

__He looked back up to meet my eyes. His gaze was razor-sharp that it impaled my soul. I gulped a huge lump of spit lodged in my throat. Little by little, the corners of his mouth shifted to a knowing, malicious grin. This is probably the end of me._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TY Ems for the movie streaming date prompt!!!! Love you!!


	10. Chapter 10

SEJUN POV

_“Uhm, I’m back”_ Stell said softly.

He has been away from his laptop for about fifteen minutes. I examined him closely, his face, his body. I could tell he changed his shirt. Hmm. It seems like he made a mess, after all. I applauded myself mentally, feeling victorious. 

A few minutes earlier, when Stell excused himself and told me had to do something quick, I already saw it. He was trying to hide it from me but my eyes were quicker than his hands. I saw his massive hard on bulging against his sweat shorts when he stood up. He tried to cover it and acted normal but it was too late.

I knew he would be jacking himself off. _I’m sorry Stell, I had to get even._

I remembered that night when he danced mercilessly in front of me. Wearing that gauzy thin muscle tee that’s almost next to nothing, displaying his tough abs and firm biceps, and that, that bulging sex of his that he didn’t even dare conceal underneath some boxers. I’m pretty sure he didn’t wear one that night. 

That was one of the most insufferable five minutes of my life; the pain in my abdomen, the dire need to release the tension while keeping a calm composure. _Ajero, you’re a big, fat tease, and a jerk._

When we talked about plans on going out on movie dates after the lockdown, I thought it was the perfect payback. I carefully researched for an erotic movie to give him a bit of push over the edge, and that’s when I come in with my retribution.

The hotdogs, the sucking, the licking, everything has been planned. I had no idea I was capable of doing it but somehow, thinking that I’d be doing it with Stell, the person I like, who I am wildly attracted to, makes me want it, crave for it even. He makes me feel wanted, the same way I want him. He effortlessly brings out the pent-up thirst in me like no other. Such flooding desire in my system even I could not understand.

When Stell disappeared from the camera’s sight, my ears started working. I was hearing stifled moans, very soft, almost inaudible but I could hear them nonetheless. He was moaning my name. _Fuck._ But he sounded like he was struggling, probably torn between the need to release his orgasm while trying to keep it a secret from me. I know how frustrating and painful it must be. 

I started moaning, loud. I moaned as convincingly as possible to help him release. 

_“Uhh..fuck..Stell”_

_“Aaaah, Stell, tangina, Stell don’t stop aaahhhh.”_

It helped that I was already aroused by watching the movie, plus seeing his hard-on stirred me up even more.

It didn’t take long enough before I finally heard Stell moaning out audibly, the bathroom walls causing that sexy ass groaning to echo. He was loud, with no more signs of struggling, just the resonance of pure and intense hunger. Hunger for me.

_“Tangina..uhngg..Sejun..shit I’m close”._

_“Ahhh, fucking hell, Sejun.”_

His moaning was music to my ears. My own cock started to throb. Shit. Not again. But I couldn’t hold this for long. I silently prayed for more time. I need to release before he comes back. 

I fumbled on my waistband and quickly slid my pyjamas and boxers down to my hips, baring my cock on full display and I started stroking. Maybe if I pumped really fast, I’d cum before he returns.

I began imagining Stell, sprawled on bed on all fours while I am underneath him and we were both naked. He’s jerking me off, occasionally bending over to suck my cock for extra lubrication. While I have my hands on his ginormous sex, so full, so angry, and I was jerking him off as well. _Shit Stell, I want this for real. I want you so bad._

And with that, I came in my hands rather quickly, spilling some on my boxers and legs. _Oh no._ I have nothing to clean up this mess with and he might come back any minute. I had no more time to think so I removed my pyjamas and boxers all the way down and quickly tossed it onto the floor. I’ll just pick those up later. 

In just a few seconds, he returned, wearing a different shirt already. I tried to soothe my nerves down to conceal the fact that I’m video calling him while I’m full on naked from the waist down.

_“Uhm, I’m back”_ Stell said softly, looking a bit timid.

I was still gathering my thoughts from that orgasm so I kept mum. I just stared at him, sharp, trying to intimidate him. He looked away and I could see him swallowing hard. _We both have our dirty little secrets tonight Stell._ I told myself, making me smile maliciously.

_“What took you so long? Okay ka lang ba?”_ I asked.

_“Y-yeah, I’m..okay. I guess.”_

_“You guess?”_

He swallowed again, licking his lips intermittently. He looked tense, like he wanted to say something but couldn’t. So I decided to speak up for him instead, hoping to make him feel secure.

_“How was it?”_

_“Ha? Alin?”_

_“Did you cum well?”_

_“Sejun!”_

He glared at me in utter shock, like I named He who must not be named. I remembered how horrified he was when I teased him about kissing me. I found that cute though.

_“What? It was a serious question. Did you cum well?”_

He kept silent, probably hesitating whether to answer that or not. But he nodded in admission afterwards.

_“I did.”_

_“That’s good. So, quits na tayo?”_

He looked at me slyly, his brows curled up in the middle. But he acknowledged that I was right and that he was the culprit who started it, after all. He began to relax his shoulders and exhaled deeply.

_“Fine.”_ He said, rolling his eyes and pouting his lips. _“Sorry.”_

I smirked at him. _Stellvester, you are such a brat._ I just can’t with him.

_“It’s okay. I came well din naman. Twice.”_ I winked at him.

_“Huh? You did?”_

_“Yeah. The other night, and tonight”._

_“So you weren’t faking it?”_

_“Well I was, kaso you started moaning my name really loud, may kasama nga lang mura. But that was..uhm, sexy.”_

His face turned red and he covered his ears, like he’s having none of it anymore. I clicked on the close button of the movie tab. I think there’s no more need to watch it. 

_“So..what do you want to do? Inaantok ka na ba?”_ I asked.

_“Hindi pa naman. Ikaw ba?”_

_“Not yet sleepy din.”_

_“Alright. Magkwentuhan muna tayo then.”_

We spent the next few hours chatting about whatnots, High School slum book questions, favourite color, favourite song, favourite book, life lessons, embarrassing experiences, childhood memories, adult dreams and fancies and the list went on. We keep on learning new things about each other every day and am enjoying every moment.

We may haven’t spent a legit movie night tonight, but we both felt our bond has just progressed into a deeper, more personal level, something that’s gearing towards trust and passion. I don’t exactly know where we are headed. But I can tell from where I stand, that we have something beautiful in the works, just waiting to completely blossom. They say you don’t rush a masterpiece, and I totally agree.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> TY Ems,Tin & Rox for the push. TY Marble for the teaser/prompt. First few convo lines obtained from her as well. TY Joy for the pet name suggestion.

STELL POV

It was already past 11 PM and was about to go to sleep when my phone buzzed. It was a messenger notification, but who could it be from at this hour? It definitely couldn't have been from Sejun. We just finished talking an hour ago and he said he'd be sleeping early tonight. 

I swiped my screen to unlock my phone.

_"STELLVESTER AJERO! ANSWER ME!"_

Sejun's messages hollered at me from the screen. _All caps talaga?_ I could've sworn I heard his raspy voice inside my head. But what is he so hysterical about? I scratched my head while trying to rack my brains out for any clues of what I could've possibly done. _What did I do?_

I was about to respond when screenshots of my latest Tiktok video popped up one by one. I creased my forehead. Where'd he get all these? But more so, what's he mad about these for?

I began to type again but his constant messages keep cutting me off. 

_"Why would you do this?!"_   
_"You better give me a good answer Ajero!"_

I almost covered my ears. His roaring voice is all over my head. He must be really fuming mad at me to address me by my last name. I swallowed hard as I attempted to type again with shaky fingers. I don’t know why I’m even freaking out. Probably since he’s never gone mad at me yet.

_"What? Bakit Sej? I'm confused."_ I finally managed to send.

I quickly minimized the messenger app to re-check my Tiktok video, closely inspecting whatever it is that could've looked so offensive. I re-watched it twice but couldn't make anything out of it. All I wanted was to post something cute for a change. 

Besides, I was fully clothed in the video; long sleeved polo, denim pants. I made sure there was no bulge in my crotch too. Everything looked safe and decent to me. What could’ve gone wrong?

His messages came popping up one by one, after the other, and another, and another. Crap! He’s driving me nuts.

_"You can go that far just to tease me huh?!"_   
_"You know how much I miss you and how much I want you!"_   
_"I'm aching for you..so bad!"_   
_"It's been over a week since the last..the last.."_   
_"I WANT YOU NOW!"_

I felt somewhat relieved after reading his messages. _Sus, horny lang pala. Dami pang sinabi._ I sheepishly giggled. 

I blushed at how straightforward he has become now, and I like it. I find it so much sexier. I imagined him asking me to make love to him in that domineering voice. Him, towering unclothed before me and I, kneeling in front of him, begging him to take me in. _Damn._ It makes me hard just thinking about it. 

I slid my hands inside my pyjamas, my hands grazed my cock in one swift movement. I don’t usually wear underwear when I sleep since it’s more comfortable that way. But now, it seemed to have found a different purpose. _Because Sejun loves my bulge so much, he can take a peep at it anytime he wants._ The thought roused the heat in me. _Shit._ And my dick feels extra sensitive tonight too. 

I bit my lip as I rubbed my cock, gradually swelling to its full size. _Uhnng, shit Sejun._

He's right. It's been a week since that little bogus movie night of ours and it didn't happen again since. Maybe a few minutes tonight wouldn't hurt, would it?

I started typing.

_"NO, I WANT YOU SEJUN. Video call?"_

In no less than 2 seconds, my phone rang. It was Sejun calling me on video. I pressed the accept call button right away.

_"Sejun, you naughty little bas-"_

I wasn't able to finish my greeting as Sejun's cock filled my screen. _Putangina._ I didn’t see that coming. My cock swelled into an enormous lump and a gruelling heat radiated throughout my abdomen.

I have never seen his cock before, much less this close. I leaned closer to the camera and my mouth opened on impulse, unpleasantly craving to run my tongue on that slimy slit of his. I imagined his cock invading the entrails of my mouth, scraping against my teeth, my tongue against his dick, flesh contending against flesh. I wondered how his juices tasted like, oh god.

_“Stell.”_ Sejun whispered. _“Take your clothes off.”_

_“Yes sir.”_

I desperately pulled the shirt above my head, almost ripping it. Then I stood on my knees, facing the camera, then pulled my boxers down to my feet, and tossing it away as well.

I could see the greed sweltering in his eyes as he feasted at the sight of my dick in all its erect glory, enticingly draping down my hips. I walled my hands around my cock and began stroking, my hands gracefully slithering along its length.

_“Sejun, what do you want from me?”_

_“Lie down and spread your legs. I want to see every inch of you.”_

I obeyed his orders like a faithful slave. I placed a couple of pillows behind me and rested my back against it, so that he could get a view of my chest too. Still facing the camera, I stretched my legs wide open, my lust melting away all the inhibitions from my body, baring my cock, my balls, and my hole on full display. 

I began fisting my cock, leisurely at first, then steadily increasing in speed. A muffled moan escaped out from my throat as my other hand grappled my balls, caressing and tugging them alternately.

My vision has darkened by the sensation created by my own doing. It took me a tad bit of strength to take a glimpse of Sejun amidst the pooling heat within my balls. _Shit._ He's in the same position as me, his legs pried open, pumping his cock with one hand while his other hand's fingers are fumbling around his hole. 

My groins ached all the more with that view. _Tangina. Where'd you learn this?_ He did all these things while he's eyes were fixed on me, mouth drooping open, gasping, as he continued teasing his hole. He began moaning my name, with spits and sputters of gibberish that sounded delightful to my ears. 

I thumbed the slit of my cock, my most delicate zone, gliding with ease as it began to drip with pre-cum. My entire body gyrated in bliss.

_"That's right Stell. Let me see you jerkin' that beautiful cock of yours."_

_Puta._ Sejun talking filthy will be the death of me. 

I pumped harder, faster, watching him keenly as he hastened pumping his cock to the same rhythm as mine. God, I only see this image in my dreams. I stroked even faster, tightening my grip for more friction like my life depended on my release. My hips unwillingly bucking upwards, shuddering with the senseless pleasure building in my groin.

_"Damn, I want those legs wrapped around my waist Stell."_ He said in between panting and whimpering. 

_Yes, tangina. I want that too Sejun._ I pictured him lugging me around, my legs bound around his waist, his robust hands supporting my ass while he plunges his cock in and out of my leaking hole, fucking my brains out.

_"Putang ina Sejun!”_ I cried out. _“I need more! Please!!"_

I feel my climax closing in. My entire body convulsing with the poisonous urge to release. 

_"You like that Stell? Is that what you want huh? I'm going to wreck that pretty ass hole of yours you dirty little slut!"_

And with that, I reached my breaking point and viciously trembled as a surge of orgasm erupted from my guts, coating my hands and soaking my abs. I urgently gasped for air as I continued to pump, attempting to drain my cock up to the last remnants of my cum. 

_"Shit aaaahhh, Stell, putanginaa."_

Sejun climaxed soon after. I witnessed him cum-squirting all over his hands and torso. I swallowed as I imagined licking the saps off his chest, off his cum-coated sex. I shivered. I can feel my cock getting hard again. Shit. 

_“What the? H-huy Stell! You’re hard again?”_ Sejun asked in disbelief, staring at my still-erect cock.

_“Y-yeah. May naimagine kasi ako. Sorry.”_

_“Paano yan? One more round?”_

_“Rest muna. I’m dying here.”_

He giggled. It surprised me how he can swiftly transform from this sultry, domineering man-whore to a childlike, blushing figure as if he didn’t just masturbate and cum in front of me.

_“So what made you this horny, ha Sej?”_

_“Hala? Nagtanong pa siya?”_

_“Ano nga kasi? I’m totally clueless here?”_

_“Eh pano, yang Tiktok video mo, nang-seseduce kaya!”_

_“Huh? Ang cute ko kaya dun!”_

_“Cute ba yun? Nag-unbutton ka ng shirt mo tapos puro ka padila dyan!”_

_“Yun lang? Ang rupok mo naman! Haha.”_

_“Sige tawa pa. Sisipsipin ko talaga yang dila mo pag magkasama na tayo.”_

He warned with a serious look on his face. My imagination was on alert mode again, him shoving his tongue inside me, lapping on it. Oh fuck. I need to stop thinking about these things, or else my groins will run dry.

_“Teka, saan mo pala napanood yung video ko eh wala ka naming Tiktok?”_

_“Eh di nag install ako, last week pa. Tss.”_

_“What for? Hindi ka naman magpopost dun?”_

_“Hindi nga. Pang-stalk ko lang sayo.”_

_“Wow! Possessive!”_

_“Bakit? Ayaw mo ba? Eh di sige, ayawan na.”_

_“Joke lang mahal, eto naman!”_

The both of us stopped talking, and blushed at the same time. I didn’t plan on it; it just slipped out of my mouth. I pursed my lips to stifle a smile.

_“Mahal? Sure ka na dyan?”_ He asked, his face still pink.

My heart started pounding. I usually cringe with couple endearments, they sound so.. _couple-y_. To my surprise, I didn’t feel any awkwardness about it now. For some reason, it feels right. It feels, real.

_“Well, I think it fits.”_ I shrugged. _“I think, I love you, Sejun.”_

He was quiet for a moment, even looked like he was about to tear up. But he smiled afterwards, my favourite toothed, crunchy-eyed smile.

_“I think, I love you too. Stell”._

I felt heat in the corners of my eye, while warmth enveloped my chest. Something so powerful is eating me up, a lot more forceful compared to the overflowing attraction and lust I feel for Sejun. 

_“Ang cringe natin! Round 2 na lang. Matigas tigas pa yan oh!”_

Sejun said that snapped me out of my musing. I laughed out loud but he’s right anyway. I even felt like I have more energy now than I did earlier. 

_“Round 2 then!”_

And our moans and groans once again, filled our rooms soon after.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks Mich for Kuya Manny :p

STELL POV

7:45 PM. _Whew._ I didn’t notice the time. Only fifteen minutes left before 8 PM and I haven’t even cooked anything for dinner. I was feeling lazy all day so I slept right after lunch time and woke up again at 5 PM. I couldn’t skip my daily workouts so I had to squeeze in my Arms Day routine; just some sets of Planks, Dips and Biceps Curls. You know, a man’s gotta stay sexy for his man.

I prepared my _sinaing_ as soon as I heard my tummy grumble, fried some Hungarian Sausages and scrambled eggs too. I was already starving and way too exhausted to even think about which dish to cook so I went for whatever my hands could get a hold of inside the fridge.

I settled down the couch at the living room to rest while waiting for the rice to finish. I’ll just probably take a shower later, before 9 PM. It’s Friday again, which means another movie night with Sejun. I wonder which movie we’d be watching later. Or the real question is, will we even be watching at all? 

Two Friday movie nights already passed and spent merely on video call sex. I’m not complaining though, not at all. My ears turned red while recalling at the memories. I reached for my phone inside my shorts’ pocket and checked my messenger app. That’s odd. Sejun’s online, but he hasn’t sent me a message since lunch time. I hope he’s okay. I was about to call him when someone knocked on my door. 

_Who could this be?_ My forehead creased. I stalled for a moment, thinking someone might have been mistaken. But then, there’s the knocking again. I checked on the date on the calendar. It’s definitely not rent collection day today. And I’m not even friends with my neighbouring units so I’m not expecting anyone, especially not at this hour.

I stood up from the couch and walked the few steps towards the door. I placed my right ear against the wooden surface, hoping I could hear a familiar voice or anything. I probably looked stupid but the cautious ones are the ones who stay alive.

_“Mr. Ajero?”_ Knock. Knock. _“Mr. Stellvester Ajero?”_

I almost jumped, rubbing my ear. It was a man’s voice, dark baritone, very adult. I twisted the door knob ever so guardedly and slowly opened the door, creating just a slim gap, enough to peep through. I opened it wider when I recognized it was one of our security guards assigned at the lobby.

_“Kuya Manny! Kinabahan naman ako haha!”_ Yes, I did look pretty stupid. _“Ano pong atin?”_

Kuya Manny anxiously looked around, eyeing the hallways, glancing above his shoulder and from behind him. When he looked like he was certain nobody was around, he leaned a bit closer to me and whispered, 

_“May bisita po kayo Sir.”_ He said, eyeing me with vigilance.

I looked at him blankly. _“Bisita po? Sino po?”_

Kuya Manny stepped backwards and it was only then that I noticed a figure hiding from his back. My heart stopped beating when the man moved towards the light. A tall, tousle-haired, rugged looking guy is wearing my favourite smile. His braces glistened under the lights. _Oh my god._ I could never mistake him for anyone else.

_“Hi mahal.”_ He smiled timidly, and leaned over to plant a kiss on my lips.

SEJUN POV

_“Hi Mahal.”_

I leaned over to plant a quick kiss on his lips. I smiled when I heard a tiny gasp escaped from his mouth. My eyes wandered about his face like I’ve always wanted to. Messy hair that looks a bit damp with sweat, bushy eyebrows, thick lashes, jet black eyes, strawberry red lips. 

I was startled when a rich bass voice coughed from behind me, and I blushed from embarrassment. I fished something out of my pocket and turned to Kuya Manny to shake his hands. 

_“Kuya, maraming salamat po ulit.”_ I said as I shoved a folded piece of bill secretly and tapped his shoulder. He took it as a sign to leave the two of us alone.

I turned to Stell, who seemed to still be in a momentary daze, and snapped a finger in his face. 

_“Huy! Papasok ako o papasok ako?”_

That got his attention back I supposed, as he stepped aside from the doorway, gesturing me to come inside. After locking the door, he quickly pulled out a chair for me from his dining table. We both sat and stared at each other, rendering stillness for a couple of minutes.

Several times he tried to open his mouth, wanting to say something but he kept on faltering. I laughed and took his hand that was resting on top of the table and enclosed it within mine, moving my two thumbs in small circles against his palm to calm his nerves down. He seemed to relax for a bit. 

_“Okay, ganito kasi.”_ I volunteered. 

Earlier this morning, I chanced upon Kuya Manny again, making rounds at their roof deck. Since I was already planning to sneak out into Stell’s building during the last few days, I sent another message to the friendly guard via drone, seeking for this favour. I promised him it would be the last and thank goodness he was willing to help. I slipped away from our building security about twenty minutes ago, and ran off to Stell’s building’s fire exit at the back, where Kuya Manny fetched me from. 

_“So, here I am”._ I smiled at him widely, feeling accomplished.

He let out a deep sigh, making me feel uneasy. While he doesn’t seem mad, he hasn’t spoken a word since he led me inside and I couldn’t tell whether he’s excited that I’m finally here, at his unit, sitting in front of him. I gently squeezed his hand and he smirked when I revealed the cutest pout I could ever attempt. Finally, he pinched my nose.

_“Adik ka, nakakatakot kaya yung ginawa mo.”_ He said as he squeezed my hand back, concern evident in his voice.

_“Actually,”_ I admitted. _“But I miss you, and gustong gusto na kitang makasama.”._

I placed his hands on my lips and kissed them tenderly. His lips curved into a small smile and brushed a finger on my cheek. It felt so soft, so warm. It felt exactly like how I imagined it to be. 

Then he was alarmed all of a sudden as though he remembered something urgently. He glanced at his phone and shrieked.

_“8 PM na Sej! Curfew!”_

_“I know.”_ I said matter-of-factly.

_“Wait. What?”_

_“I’m staying here for the night Stell.”_ I said, and then I winked at him, making him blush.

My stomach grumbled, reminding me that we haven’t had dinner. I took out the plastic food container that I brought along with me tonight and started unpacking the sets. His eyes widened in delight upon seeing the _Kare-Kare_ and _bagoong._ I remembered he told me it was his favourite dish, _“lalo kapag maraming peanuts”_ he would say. I had to ask my mom for her recipe and made sure to buy all the ingredients I needed the last time Stell and I went to the grocery.

I scoured through his kitchen cabinets one by one to look for plates and utensils. For some reason, it feels just exactly like I’m in my own unit. Or maybe I just really want to be with Stell under the same roof, spending day and night like this, taking care of him. Suddenly, I felt hands from behind me, draping around my waist. Then there were tiny kisses tickling my nape with a warm breath of air.

_“Mahal let me do it. You’re my guest.”_ He said, prying the utensils from my grasp and I let him.

He made me sit again while he prepared the meal. Something in my chest felt warm as I watched him take charge. I smiled. _That’s my man._


	13. Chapter 13

STELL POV

8:30 PM. _Burp._ Oh god that was good. I love Kare Kare, especially the one sold by Barrio Fiesta, but Sejun's dish can give them a run for their money. He put in a ton of peanuts, exactly the way I liked it. I smiled knowing he remembers even the littlest of details about me, my likes, and my peeves. But even more so about the fact that he could go to great lengths just to be with me. 

I peeped into the dish bowl. _Hala ubos na pala._ Not wanting to waste anything, I wiped the left over peanut sauce off from the bowl using my finger and sucked on it, my tongue swirling in circles, making sure it captures all the sauce on the surface. _Hmm, finger lickin' good._

_"Stell.."_

I heard Sejun mutter in a low voice. I turned to him, a bit stunned at the smug look on his face. I couldn't figure what kind of expression it was but he definitely wasn't smiling. 

_"Yes, Sej?"_

He didn't answer; instead, he cupped my chin which caught me off guard. He tilted his face close to mine, his eyes roaming around my face, and then stopping his gaze upon my lips. I swallowed as he ran a thumb at my bottom lip, tugging it to the side gently. 

Then he pulled away even before I could go for a quick kiss. He glanced at that thumb, then his eyes darted to me. There was peanut sauce smeared on his finger. My throat ran dry when he licked the sauce off from his finger, not tearing his gaze away from me. I knew I was doing the same thing a few minutes ago. But why do I find this gruelling to watch? I was hoping he could’ve just wiped the sauce off my lips, using his tongue. I shook off the idea.

He stood up from his seat and started clearing out the plates and placing them on the sink. He was about to put on the washing gloves but I stopped him, gave him a scolding look which he immediately understood.

_“Kulit. Ako na bahala sabi.”_ I said. _“Just take a rest na lang dyan.”_

I started with the chore, planning to finish as quickly as I can. But Sejun was suddenly behind me, his strong arms wrapped around my waist, his chin resting on my shoulder. I could feel his warm minty breath brushing on my cheeks. I inhaled and took in his scent, my eyes closed and feeling faint. _Hmm, this feels good._

I thought about spending every day like this, cooking for each other, having meals together, getting back hugs while doing the dishes, probably waking each other up in the mornings and deciding it’s too early so we could go back to cuddling each other. I felt blood crept up my cheeks.

My mind was just happily floating on cute, vanilla dreams when I felt something touched my behind, repeatedly. Then Sejun’s breathing tightened. I drew a sharp inhale when I recognized it was his hard-on grazing my ass. I swallowed hard as tremors crawled down my groins. I put the plates down the sink, removing my soap-slick gloves and turning around to face him.

His eyes were piercing its path into mine. I stared at his slightly parted lips, he was also staring at mine that rendered us both frozen for a brief moment, exchanging warm shallow breaths. Sejun’s hands made its way to the back of my head and pulled me in for a kiss, his other hand wrapped around my waist. My arms awkwardly hung on my sides. 

His tongue wriggled inside my mouth, gently brushing against my own. _“Uhnng..Sej..”_ A soft moan escaped my lips. I was about to sling my arms around his nape when he abruptly broke off the kiss, my lips chasing his. He smirked at me, putting his hands in his pocket as I watched him walk off towards the living room sofa, leaving me breathless with swollen lips and a hard on. With a sigh, I turned my back to the sink and finished washing the dishes instead.

Sejun lounges at the sofa, crosses his legs and picks up one of my recipe books from under the coffee table. I’d throw quick glimpses at him from time to time. Sometimes he would brush his hair up with his fingers, and his fringe would still land softly on his forehead. His hair has grown long now, his bangs almost reaching under his eyebags. Sometimes I’d catch him licking his lips, probably a lot more frequent than what I deem safe. 

He would turn the pages of the recipe book gently, but all I could think about are his hands, his fingers, his long, bony fingers. I wondered what those fingers are capable of, aside from strumming his guitar. He once caught me staring at him, and winks at me. He could probably tell what I was thinking, and I sure hope he does. I felt another ache between my legs.

As soon as I finished washing the dishes, I went straight to the balcony to clear up my work-out equipment. Sejun trailed along behind me, and heard him groan as he stretched out his limbs, drinking out the humid evening breeze.

_“Nag work-out ka kanina, mahal?”_ he asked, eyeing the messy stuff on the floor.

I nodded at him while gently hitting a fist against my biceps and stretching my back. _“Yeah. Ang sakit nga ng katawan ko eh.”_

_“Ah, I see.”_

_“Hmm? Why?”_

He marched over to me with a stomp on his feet and pulled my head for another searing kiss. I almost tripped backwards but his other hand clung to my waist for support as my hands clumsily hung on my sides once more, each holding these pesky dumbbells. I could feel the weight on my arms but his lips continued to wrangle against mine. 

He bit my bottom lip and sucked on it as I shove my tongue down his throat, drawing out an audible cry from Sejun. He began grinding his hips against my sex, and his hand finds its way from my waist down to my ass, fondling, squeezing. The lump in our shorts rubbed against each other under the unpleasantly tight fabric. I could very well feel the moist growing in my crotch, mapping itself on the cloth.

From my ass, his hands travelled in front, reaching out between my thighs. His expert hands fondled my bulge, sending an immense jolt of voltage throughout my body. I hissed through my teeth.

_“Shit..Sej..”_ I moaned his name against his mouth as my cock began to throb, yearning for his touch, aching for heat. But the weight of the dumbbells is wearing my arms out that I had to break off from his kiss. His eyes looked confused, his lips red and puffy.

_“Sorry mahal, ang bigat kasi nung dumbbells. Ibaba ko..-“_ I said but Sejun already turned his back, smirking at me before he went back inside the unit.

I was left at the balcony, scratching my head in frustration, kicking the useless equipment aside. _Stupid dumbbells._ I went inside the unit and closed the sliding door. Sejun was nowhere to be found.

_“Mahal?”_ I called out. 

_“Bedroom”._ He answered.

I went inside my room and found him scrutinizing my drawer, must probably be taken aback by my massive collection of skin and body care stuff. He turned to me with an amused look in his crinkled eyes, fingering the dozens of bottles of essential oils lined up in the vanity.

I walked towards my bed and started removing the mattress from the bed frame. The Queen sized mattress was a little heavy so I called Sejun out for a hand. We successfully detached the pad and placed it on the floor, lounging on it briefly. When he asked why, I just answered _“so it doesn’t squeak later on.”_ And I winked at him, making his face turn hot red. 

I stood up and walked the few steps towards the drawer and lit up a couple of essential oil diffusers. The floral scent emanated and swamped my tiny bedroom. I bent over to the bedside lamp next to me and turned it on as I switched the ceiling light off. Darkness sheathed the room, allowing just a modest glow from the dimly lit lamp, enough to see Sejun’s silhouette lying on my bed.

I tiptoed my way to the mattress, and felt Sejun’s hand hold mine, guiding me towards him. He laid me down beside him, my head resting on his muscular arm. He turned his body to face me, the stubbles on his chin prickling against the nook of my neck, hurling shivers through my guts. He drew a deep breath, sipping the perfume reeling in the air.

_“What scent is this?”_ Sejun asked softly, his deep voice pulsating in my neck.

_“Ylang-Ylang. Why?”_

He buried his nose against my neck, sniffing it, then I felt his soft lips sweeping on it. I swallowed hard. He placed his one hand on the other side of my cheek, pulling my face closer to his. He planted tiny kisses on my cheek, on my temples, on my hair. _“It smells so good.”_ He whispered in my ear. _“Just like you.”_

He continued to kiss my face, his lips pressing everywhere but my lips. I whimpered, and he giggled before cupping my chin, pulling me in gently and his minty breath swept up my nostrils. My lips parted, letting him in. He nipped on my lower lip, teeth and tongue alternating. I felt lightheaded in the pleasure, setting my senses ablaze.

I felt Sejun’s warm hands slither its way to my lap, caressing tenderly, gradually gliding upwards until his grasp reached the center of my shorts. He palmed my crotch, and a brusque gasp leapt out of my throat. He continued fondling my lump until it swelled and hardened beneath the warmth of his touch. _“Hmm, you’re hard, Stell.”_ He whispered in his raspy tone. I never knew my name could sound as sensual as this.

His lips travelled along my jaw, licking and lapping along the bare skin while his hand now finds its way up on the hem of my shirt. His fingers fiddling on the fold, and slowly heaves it up, making way for his hands to skim inside. I drew in strained mouthfuls of air as I began to melt under the warmth of his fingers.

_“I love you.”_ He whispered on my ear before he began nibbling on my earlobe. My eyes dilated in the small bristling sensations.

_“I love you.”_ I managed to respond. _“But you’re a tease.”_

It was dim, but I could see the smirk curving in the corners of his mouth. His lips crashed on mine once more, his tongue prying inside my mouth, devouring me, knocking the air out of my throat. His hand grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling a little hard making my head tilt backwards as his tongue scurried its way to my neck, glazing my skin with a liberal amount of spit, marking his territory. _“I’m not a tease, love.”_ His hot breath prickled my ears, embedding goose flesh on my body.

I fixed my gaze on him, taunting his claim. _“Prove it, Nase.”_ I chided before he briskly toppled me over, making me lie on my belly as he climbed and sat on my ass. I could feel his hard-on brushing against my behind. He lowered his body against my back, his mouth resting on my ear.

_“Shall I do as I please then?”_ He breathed through clenched teeth. 

_“Y-yes, Sir”._ I stammered, as I bit my lip and half-closed my eyes in pleasure and anticipation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Made a poll on Twt. Fluffy sex vs smut, smut won by two votes lol. So I decided to accommodate both. Fluffy this chap. Smut next chap. :P


	14. Chapter 14

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For updates, you may find me on twitter @lefabgeek :)))

Stell’s room is almost pitch-black, if not for the subtle orange glow spewed by his meek lamp in the small corner of the area. Only the essence of the Ylang-Ylang oil, blending with the couple’s sweat and flushed breaths wafting in the air bear witness to the brewing spark between the two lovers whose bodies were entangled in the mattress sprawled across the bedroom floor.

Sejun is straddling upon Stell’s ass, the latter lies on his belly, face down against his pillow. He gently tugs on the hem of Stell’s shirt, and lifts it up, the latter’s muscular back revealing itself in front of Sejun’s favourable gaze. He successfully removes the younger male’s shirt in one swift movement.

Still fully clothed, Sejun fishes something out of his shorts’ pocket, uncaps it and pours the substance onto his palms, rubbing it all over his hands. He even breathes into his palms to heighten the warmth of the Lavender oil, now slowly trickling from the tips of his fingers.

His oil-sleek hands made their way to the lower portion of Stell’s back, the latter briefly flinches under Sejun’s touch, but relaxes soon after. The scent of the essential oil caressed their nostrils, sending them both into a state of calm. 

From Stell’s lower back, Sejun’s hands sashayed up towards his shoulders, putting in a little bit of force, pressing on the younger man’s muscles.

_“Uhhnng..Sej..”_ Stell whimpered, inadvertently caused by the soreness of his body from the earlier exercise.

Sejun’s hands rested softly on Stell’s shoulders, making tiny circular movements with adequate pressure. He glided back down to Stell’s torso, until he reached just above the younger man’s shorts. Sejun’s strong, bony fingers hooked into the latter’s waistband, and lowered it slowly, revealing part of Stell’s plump ass. Sejun’s fingers playfully drew invisible patterns on Stell’s buxom cheeks, making the latter squirm and mewl.

Sejun leaned over, bringing his weight on Stell’s back, and placed his warm mouth beside Stell’s ears. 

_“Wala ka na namang underwear.”_ His warm breath and gruff voice made Stell writhe underneath him and bit a finger to stifle another moan.

Sejun crawled up and knelt beside Stell, _“Love, can you turn over?”._

Stell did as he was asked and flipped over to his side, now lying on his back. He swallowed as Sejun’s eyes dawned on his bare skin. The older straddled once more on top of Stell, the latter gasping as Sejun sat directly on his lump, subtly grinding. His pulse quickened.

Sejun poured more Lavender oil into his palm, rubbing his hands together and smeared it meticulously on Stell’s torso, starting from his stomach, leisurely slithering their way up to Stell’s chest. Sejun roamed his hands all over Stell’s décolletage area, occasionally stopping by his nipples and tweaking them until they stiffened under his fingertips. 

He watched as Stell's brows curled in the middle, eyes squeezed shut, biting his lower lip and chest briskly heaving, visibly drinking in the pleasure caused by his caress. He smiled, knowing he was making Stell feel good, and desired. _A month and a half._ He has waited a month and a half to have Stell melt under his arms, conquer his lips, and make love, have their bodies unite as one. 

He could’ve as well been dreaming at this moment, fearing he might wake up any minute, but no. He could feel the heat of his lover’s body scorching beneath his strokes, his lips that yield a sweet aftertaste in his mouth. He would make him feel wanted, and loved. Because Stell is real. This is real. Everything is real. 

Sejun’s hands skidded along Stell’s firm waist, until he reached his hips, where the latter’s shorts' waistband rode enticingly low, displaying his V-line. _“Love, I’ll take this off ha?”_ Sejun asked, pertaining to the younger man’s sweat shorts, which Stell nodded in response to, and smiled timidly, his cheeks flushed.

Sejun craned his fingers against the waistband and gently pulled it down to his legs, and all the way to his feet, exposing his erection. Stell swallowed heavily, seeing Sejun's eyes roaming at every nook and cranny of his nakedness, gaze falling fixed on his hard on, all for him to mark and own. _“Damn”_ , Sejun said softly. _“You’re so beautiful.”_

He writhed in delight and need as soon as Sejun's hands began travelling along his inner thighs, gliding downwards to the strip of his legs, and crawling back up again, putting just the right amount of pressure to soothe his tired muscles. He whimpered. This felt good, but Stell wanted more. The older man was paying too much attention on his legs. 

His groins started to ache, longing to be caressed. Stell touched Sejun's hand, guiding it toward his hard, throbbing sex, _“Sej, touch me.”_ He whispered between panting. _“Please.”_

Sejun obliged, pressing his lips tenderly on Stell’s mouth before moving his hands to the latter’s shaft and started stroking. He squirmed in pleasure, his slit started to weep, pre-cum and oil mixing, drenching his whole length. _“Aahh..Sejj.”_ Stell moaned, already half-mad in ecstasy.

Sejun briefly stopped and stood on his knees to undress, removing his shorts and boxers first. He already had his shirt lifted above his head but was caught off guard when he felt something moist and warm enclosed around his cock, making him gasp. _“Shit..love..”_ Sejun moaned, as he finally managed to take off his shirt. His eyes were met by Stell’s, who is now on all fours, torso bent low so as to suck his dick conveniently.

Sejun watched as Stell’s lips stretched over his cock while hollowing his cheeks and taking him whole. His eyes dilated in pleasure, head thrown back, mouth gaped, chasing his breaths. His entire body trembled as Stell’s tongue playfully twirled around his slit, and into the foreskin where it’s most sensitive, lapping and seeping his pre-cum then descending on his cock again. _“Love, you feel so good..uhnng.”_ Sejun’s fingers ran through Stell’s hair, gently pinning the latter’s head down deeper into his dick.

Stell eventually let go of Sejun’s cock, his lips dripping a thread of saliva. The image made Sejun’s dick throb all the more. He has never seen someone so beautiful. 

_“Sejun..”_ the younger said softly through his sweltering eyes. _“Fuck me.”_ He said, before turning to the opposite direction, still on all fours, brandishing his ass to Sejun.

The older began to position himself. Still on his knees, his one hand on Stell’s butt cheek, the other inside his mouth, lavishing his fingers with his own spit, hoping it would be enough lubricant for Stell. 

_“Love, I’ll finger you. Tell me if you’re uncomfortable.”_

_“I’ll be okay love.”_

Before entering, Sejun clamped his mouth on Stell’s hole, brushed his tongue around, coating it with a generous amount of drool, making the latter moan. Sejun breached a finger in slowly, testing the warm, tight bunch of flesh around its path. Stell squirmed and succumbed to his pleasure-pain, and motioned Sejun to go on. 

Gradually, Sejun’s finger went completely inside, withdrawing briefly before pressing back again. _“Oh..god, Sejun..”_ and again.

He could tell the younger male is indulging in his touch, so he entered another finger, and another. Three digits buried inside, slithering their way in and finally hitting Stell’s prostate. The latter drew a sharp inhale, fighting for his breath. _“Ahh..love, right..ahh there..”._

Sejun slowly rubbed against the sensitive gland, working on his pace. He lifted Stell’s leg up a bit and the new angle made the latter’s body rock in a spreading wave of pleasure. He continued fucking Stell with his fingers until he decided he was ready to take him in.

Sejun slowly pulled his fingers out and steadied himself, pumping his cock, preparing for its entrance. He rubbed his cock’s head against Stell’s gripping heat, slowly thrusting in, making sure his young lover is comfortable. 

Stell’s face was bound against his pillow, his fingers digging deeply into the bed sheet. Sejun began to grind his hips, gently thrusting back and forth. He knew he could wreck Stell ruthlessly if he wanted to, but he didn’t. All he wanted was to make him feel safe, wanted, and adored. So he kept his rhythm slow. 

Stell also found his tempo, rocking his hips, meeting Sejun’s thrusts in the same beat. _“Ah, shit..love..uhng..”_ Stell mewled, biting his bottom lip, his eyelids fluttering in delight. “Don’t stop..”

_“Stell..fuck..ahh.”_ Sejun whimpered, his eyes half-closed, his soft fringe bouncing on his forehead in the same pulse of his thrusts. He tried to increase his pace, slowly but surely, harder and deeper until he hit the younger male’s prostate again, making his body convulse. They exchanged moans, reverberating against the walls of their tiny bedroom, melding with the perfumed breeze and night light.

Sejun could feel his climax nearing. He hastened his speed, chasing his looming orgasm. His fingers drilled into Stell’s hips, who’s bouncing against his cock in perfect sync with his drive. _“Love..I’m..ahh, close”._ Sejun moaned, gritting his teeth. His balls tightened as the heat in his groins brew and threatening to erupt.

_“Come inside me Sej.”_ Stell groaned in between spastic breathing, his hand mercilessly pumping his own cock. That was all it took for Sejun to burst into streams of orgasm, his entire body trembling as he was steered over the edge. Strings of hot white semen dripped from Stell’s hole, trickling along his legs and into the sheets. _“Aah..fuck..I..ah..”_ He continued to thrust, milking his cock completely up to the last drop. 

Feeling that Stell would climax any second now, he withdrew his now flimsy cock, and quickly tilted Stell over, making him sit on the mattress. He pried Stell’s legs wide and replaced the latter’s hand with his mouth over Stell’s dripping sex. Stell shuddered and knotted his fingers onto Sejun’s hair, nudging his lover’s head deeper and deeper until he felt his cock hit the roof of Sejun’s throat. _“Love..I’m..oh god”_ his voice trailed off as his body tensed right up and shivered as thick streams of orgasm shot out directly inside Sejun’s mouth. 

Stell writhed into a weak mess and plopped right on his back, as Sejun pulls his face out of Stell’s dick, wiping spurts of cum trickling on the sides of his mouth with the back of his hand. He swallowed once more, savouring the latter’s taste lingering in his tongue. 

Stell lifted his head up, exchanging stares with Sejun. They both smiled.

After a while, they stood up and removed the bed sheet soaked in their essence and tossed it around the corner. They cleaned their mess up using wet tissues before collapsing into the mattress again. Sejun scooped Stell in his arms, their legs entangled, and their bodies greasy in both oil and sweat. He planted a kiss on Stell’s hair and his forehead before capturing his mouth in a tender lip lock.

_“Love, that was amazing.”_ Stell whispered after they both gasped for air, snuggling on Sejun’s chest. 

_“It was.”_ He said as he wrapped the younger male in a tight embrace. _“I love you.”_

_“I love you too, Sej.”_

Sejun cupped Stell’s chin and shared one last kiss before finally drifting off to sleep, both wishing the night wouldn’t end.


	15. Chapter 15

STELL POV

May 18th, 2020. 

After exactly two months, the Enhanced Community Quarantine had been finally lifted and all business establishments had resumed to regular operations. 

Here I was, back in my favourite desk at the far corner of the office, swamped in stacks of documents and in my second mug-full of Black coffee for the first three hours of our shift. I badly needed to stay awake. My body clock was still in discord caused by the lockdown. 

I took another huge sip and stretched my fingers with a satisfying crack. _Game face on, Ajero._

I rummaged through my two months-worth of backlogged files and sighed. _This_ , in exchange for two months of rest. I fingered through the folders and pulled the one at the bottom and started working. The earlier I finished, the better. Overtime was never an option for me. You see, I’ve always had that title. Stell, the _Honda King_ ; always started and finished all duties _honda dot_ , leaving the office at exactly 5 PM. 

I’d been working for one of the most reputable Banks in the country for the last ten years; same department, same floor, only the people came and went. You could say that I knew all the ropes of this job like the back of my hand. I started as a Digital Marketing Specialist when I was 20, barely two weeks after I graduated from College. I spent four years in that position, jumping to Senior Specialist and spending another three years there. One more promotion in between and now at 30 years old, I currently head the cluster with forty two people under my wing.

I worked round-the-clock for the past decade. I hardly ever used my vacation leaves so I had those two months of ECQ discounted from all those leaves that I earned. I mean, who would want to work from home under those detrimental conditions anyway? Definitely not me. I guess I came up with the perfect resolution anyway. Had I been working from home back then, I wouldn’t have had the time to learn Tiktok. I wouldn’t have kept going to the roof deck to shoot videos. I wouldn’t have met Sejun. 

My ears felt hot just by thinking about him. I covered both my ears with my chilly hands while stifling a smile.

_“Sir Stell.”_ A familiar voice snapped me out of my musing. One of my colleagues, Josh, came knocking on the panel of my desk before taking a peep. _“Lunch?”_

I glanced at the time on my computer. I couldn’t believe it was already 12:00 nn. I turned to him and motioned him to go ahead since I brought my own _baon_. He gestured an okay sign before leaving with my two other colleagues, Ken and Justin. 

I spent most of my break time surfing the internet while eating my meal on my desk. I was visiting this particular resort’s website for the past two weeks but their chat administrator was offline. Today, they were finally back on. I promptly sent them a message to confirm their available dates and rooms. Hopefully they have one at least before the month ended. Last hurrah for summer, I guess?

_“Hi Mr. Ajero, glad to have you back! We have the Pawikan Room available on May 30-31. Would you like to book today?”_

_Yes!_ I threw a fist in the air. The _Pawikan_ Room had always been my personal pick whenever I visited this place. The resort itself is small with only five rooms. Each room was facing the ocean, but the _Pawikan_ Room was the premium one, located at the far end and had its own veranda with a hanging Rattan swing. The porch was surrounded by Bougainville shrubs and guests have access to a mini dipping pool too. It could house a maximum of five people but I normally spent my time there alone. I loved having all the space and the beach to myself. But now, I have someone to share that space with. 

I booked that weekend for two and transferred my down payment through my mobile banking app. I smiled, my heart thumping in excitement. I couldn’t wait to surprise Sejun!

SEJUN POV

12:45 PM. I was having lunch at our cafeteria, munching on a bowl of _Sinigang_ , which unfortunately wasn’t sour enough, plus two cups of rice. My other colleagues already went ahead of me to grab some Milk Tea at the nearby mall. Suddenly, my phone vibrated inside my pocket. I reached for it and smiled upon seeing a text message from Stell. _I miss him already._

_“Mahal, will be home late tonight. Videoke lang kami sa may Jupiter, w/ Josh and friends.”_

My brows curled in the middle. _Josh and friends._ The name didn’t ring a bell. I frowned. I was hoping to spend dinner outside with him tonight. I guess that’s a date for another day then. Oh well.

_“Okay Mahal. Just text me the place na lang. Ingat later.”_ I replied then pitched my phone back into my hoodie’s front pocket. I stood up and left the cafeteria to brush my teeth before heading back to my table.

Back at the floor, I switched my two monitors back on and decided to work on my concepts for the next couple of days. Good thing there weren’t a lot of errands so I’d probably round up everything in a matter of two hours, tops. 

I really love my job, and that’s an understatement. I had been working as a Graphic Artist for a Korean Magazine for the past six years ; flexible working hours, pay is good, proximity to the condo is excellent, great colleagues. The past two months of working from home was a breeze too. I worked on my own pace, could complete my tasks in an hour or less so I had all the time in the world. Suffice to say, it’s my comfort zone. 

The entire afternoon went by swiftly. I spent the remaining hours playing some mobile games and watching anime. At exactly 6 PM, I left the office, grabbed some coffee and went home. 

#####

9 PM. I still haven’t received any text messages from Stell. The last one he sent was three hours ago, telling me the name of the karaoke bar along Jupiter Avenue. I sent him several text messages already and called him five times but he wasn’t responding. _Josh and friends_. Why did I keep thinking about it? _They’re colleagues Sejun_ , nothing more. But why the heck wasn’t he answering?

After pacing a few times, I decided to go pick him up. I quickly changed clothes and headed for the door.

####

STELL POV

My head was spinning a little. I could still see the light beaming from the Videoke machine and I could definitely hear Ken murdering some Kpop song, or wait, was it Justin? I didn’t realize they sounded similar. I giggled. The volume was on full blast, giving me a blistering headache. I lifted my wrist up, my watch said it’s 9:40 PM. _Oh no._ I rose up from the couch, but plopped down again. My vision was hazy and my insides are in clamor. _Don’t throw up, Stell_. I searched for my bag, it should be here somewhere. I poked whoever this was seating next to me.

_“Pasuyo ng bag ko. Josh?”_ I assumed it was Josh, watching the other two dancing the night away while killing another bottle of beer. I couldn’t remember how many bottles I’ve consumed but I was sure as heck I was still thinking straight. Hopefully, I could still walk straight as well. I fumbled inside my clutch and found my phone. I was about to unlock it when it rang. Sejun was calling, and suddenly, I was hurled back to reality. I took a deep breath before taking his call in.

_“M-mahal?”_ I answered, stuttering. For some reason, I felt fussy that something was bound to happen and it wouldn't turn out well.

_“Nasaan ka? Nandito ako sa reception ng Center Stage.”_ Sejun answered, his voice was low and breathy, that kind of voice he never used except when we're..I blushed.

_“Nandito pa sa room namin mahal. Bakit ka nandito?”_

_“Stell, have you seen how many messages and calls I’ve made?”_

My throat ran dry. He called me Stell. _Just Stell_. I carefully yanked the phone away from my ear and quietly checked my calls log and messages. There were 15 missed calls and 10 messages registered. _Shit_. I told Sejun to give me a minute to fix up and I dropped the call. I tried to stand up and fix my things, frantically telling Josh, Ken and Justin that I had to go. They understood and agreed to check out already. We stormed out of the room altogether. Josh had his hands on my arms, supporting me since I was still feeling a little wobbly.

When we reached downstairs, I saw Sejun in an instant. He stood up from his seat and walked his way towards me, briefly frowning upon seeing Josh’s hands on my arms, which I politely removed right off the bat.

Sejun looked so good. He seemed to be freshly showered. I could tell from his damp hair and the cluster of bangs draping on his temples. The denim jacket and the half-tucked white shirt he wore under a pair of ripped jeans and black ankle boots made him look like a rock star. _My, rock star._ I shook the thought right away. This wasn't definitely the right time to think that, knowing I was in for a good scolding.

He enclosed the few steps between us, and everything seemed to move slower than they ought to. He looked pissed and I couldn't figure out what's going on inside his head. My mind told me to look away, but my eyes decided to fix its gaze on him as he loomed over me and hugged me, tight. He ducked his face in the nook of my neck and shoulder. I could feel his heavy sighs and his slightly wet hair brushing my cheeks. My arms naturally cradled around his waist.

_"You worried me."_ He said softly. I could feel the movement of his lips and the warmth of his breath against my skin. _"Ayos ka lang ba?"_

The sound of his voice melted my resolve that I just wanted to tether my body in his arms. All these years, I've only thought about working and being able to pay my bills. I took rests only on weekends and barely visited my family. I dated myself, cooked for myself, looked good for myself. I had no one to look after me and I didn't give a fuck. I was independent and I loved my lifestyle, or was rather satisfied with it; until Sejun came into the picture.

There were times I hoped we'd just enjoy each other's company; teasing, flirting, making out, making love. Happy times only. Make no room for dramas. But somehow, I felt fear. When I took his call earlier and hearing that serious voice on the other line made me tremble. Tremble out of fright that he was mad, he was worried, or whatever it was. I was scared that I might have hurt him. I guess this is how it felt like to have someone worry about you. And honestly, it didn't feel so bad, after all.

_"Sorry mahal. I'm okay naman. I had a few drinks kasi tapos nahilo."_ I admitted. His arms tightened around me more. I thought I heard him whisper _"pasaway"_ , I wasn't sure. Then he loosened his grip on me and kissed me on the lips, a quick one. My ears suddenly felt hot.

_"Sir Stell"_. Ken called out. I had almost forgotten about them. _"Una na po kami."_ He said, then turning to Sejun and giving him a nod as acknowledgement. Justin and Josh nodded as well. Ugh, how could I be so impolite?

_"Uy, pasensya na kayo. Si Sejun pala, boyfriend ko."_ I said, causing my three colleagues to exchange glances at each other before immediately shaking Sejun's hands. They introduced themselves to Sejun in return while Sejun, particularly eyeing Josh, for some reason. _"Sige na, late na rin. Maaga pa tayo tomorrow."_

_"Sige po Sir Stell. Sir Sejun. Ingat po."_

_"Ingat kayo. Thanks ulit! See you tomorrow."_

We all separated ways right outside Center Stage. Normally, I would walk myself home. It's a good thirty-minute walk from the office to the condo, which is a rather good exercise, but Sejun insisted that we take a cab tonight instead since I was still a little woozy. When we arrived, I invited him over at my unit for some coffee.

We were at the dining table, taking small sips of black coffee. We were awkwardly silent, as I had expected. I kept tossing glimpses at him and he did the same, waiting for the other one to speak up. _Fine._ I cleared my throat.

_"Galit ka pa?"_ I asked him, staring at my mug, fidgeting its handle. Suddenly, his hand was on top of mine, squeezing it.

_"I wasn't mad at you, just worried. Tampo konti."_ I looked at him and his cute pout curved into my favorite smile again, braces showing and eyes crinkling. I felt a tinge of relief.

_"Sorry love. Hindi na mauulit."_ I said. He straightened up and cleared his throat, looking at me intently while still playing with my fingers.

_"Hey, I'm not stopping you from going out ha? Go and have fun, just let me know where you are, who you are with. Let me know you're safe. "Yun lang naman."_

I nodded and smiled at him. _Ang swerte ko naman,_ I thought. I leaned over and pressed my lips on his. It was supposedly a quick peck, but he placed his hand on my nape even before I could pull away. He parted my lips with his tongue, prodding gently and I let him in. I sucked a portion of his tongue and nibbled on it delicately, until a soft moan escaped from his throat.

My hand found his lap, and slowly let it roam along his legs, caressing them. He moaned louder when I pried his thighs open, my hand travelling inward until I reached his center. I felt him quiver, making me smile inside his mouth.

He pulled away soon after, his lips puffy. He smirked at me and said, _"naughty"_ while flicking my nose.

_"By the way,"_ He began. _"Friend mo ba yung Josh?"_

I eyed him in confusion. _"Uhh, we're great colleagues, I guess? Eight years na rin kaming magkakilala. He used to be under me."_ I said that nonchalantly before smacking my forehead mentally, realizing my choice of words.

_"What do you mean under you, Stellvester?"_ Sejun cried out, standing from his seat, his eyes throwing daggers at me. I was supposed to panic but then I ended up laughing instead.

_"Sorry Mahal, I mean, under my supervision kasi haha. Upo ka na ulit."_ I said, caressing his hands. _"Why’d you ask?"_

_"Wala naman. Nakakapit kasi sa'yo kanina."_ He said, his voice trailing off and echoing into the mug as he took a sip of his coffee. I beamed at him widely.

_"Wait. Don’t tell me you’re jeal.."_

_"Of course not."_ he exclaimed, cutting me off mid-sentence. _"Mas gwapo naman ako doon. Mas matangkad pa."_

_"Ay oo naman mahal. No match yun."_ I bragged, making his eyes smile. Damn, he looked so cute. I stood up from my seat and sat on his lap, slinging my arms around his neck. _"By the way, save May 30 and 31. I'm taking you somewhere."_

His brows curled in the middle. _"Saan mo naman ako dadalhin Ajero?"_

_"Diyan lang sa tabi tabi." _I winked at him. _"Ha? Basta block mo na."___

___"Well I have no plans naman, so, okay. Sure."_ _ _

___"Great! So.."_ I leaned over and whispered in his ear. _"Care to stay here for the night?"_ I asked, licking his earlobe and I heard his gasp. He pinched the side of my tummy and before I knew it, I was up on my feet, my legs tangled around his waist and his hands were on my ass as he carried me towards the bedroom._ _

__I guess this was going to be a long night._ _


	16. Chapter 16

SEJUN POV

9:45 AM. It was only less than a minute when I got out of the car but my skin was already burning to a crisp. I should’ve worn a light long sleeved shirt like Stell’s. My only protection against the atrocious morning heat was a cap and a pair of sunglasses. Good thing Stell rented a car and drove us all the way from Makati to Anilao, Batangas. I couldn’t imagine commuting through this heat for five hours.

I saw a man approaching Stell and I. He must be the resort’s transporter with whom Stell was speaking to over the phone. Kuya Tupe, if I heard it right. He shook our hands and immediately took the luggage from us, motioning us to go and follow him. I waited for Stell to finish parking the car and held his hand as we treaded the carved slope that served as a makeshift staircase.

Kuya Tupe seemed as though he was flying. He quickly reached the foot of the stairs while I was clutching through sharp brick walls to keep my balance. The flights of stairs were too narrow for my huge feet. _Just fifty more steps._ Stell reached his hand back to me to support me, and revealed his beautiful smile. _“Almost there Mahal. There’s the ocean na oh.”_ he said before turning around and pointing to the massive blue canvass of water about a couple hundred meters away. I didn’t notice it immediately but it was breath-taking. 

Finally, we reached the rocky shore. Now I learned why Stell insisted that I wear shorts and slippers. We needed to go across some shallow waters to get to the resort. The splashing water felt cool on my feet, and even with the almost non-existent sands, the rocks didn’t hurt at all. I watched as the waves modestly stirred against the auburn-shade walls of what looked like a small, ancestral house lined with a canopy of Coconut trees. _“Lilom Resort”_ was carved on a wooden signboard with a huge _Tuko_ design on its sides. My mouth gaped open to let out a silent _“wow”._

Stell held out his hand for me again. _“Let’s go Mahal.”_ I held his hand and he gently pulled me up as I climbed the first step, another flight of stairs but a shorter one, going up the villa. As soon as we entered the gate, we were greeted by a small lady who looked like she’s in her early 20s, holding out a tray containing two glasses of fresh _calamansi juice._

_“Sir Stell!”_ She exclaimed excitedly and Stell flashed his toothiest smile. _“Welcome back po!”_

_“Uy Ems! Salamat. It’s nice to be back”._ He said, carefully taking both glasses from the tray and handing the other one to me. This made Ems throw a swift glimpse at me, and smiled timidly as she bowed her head in acknowledgement. She looked back at Stell with a knowing smile, her eyebrows bobbing up and down. Stell giggled and mumbled something similar to _“Ikaw talaga”._ The young lady smiled once again before turning her back and disappearing into the kitchen.

Stell guided me towards a small table under a tree, where Kuya Tupe placed our bags at, and we sat down, gawking at the vast cerulean sea. The sound of the waves tickled my senses. He placed his hand on my leg and I winced, feeling a surge of current run through my skin. _“How do you like the place love?”_ He asked, his eyes glowing with hope. I wandered my eyes throughout the area. 

The resort was small and felt cozy. There were three pairs of wooden tables and chairs strewn across the garden, each underneath a tree and were lined up along a cobbled path and lavish green grass. There was a tiny dining area on the side and beside it were the rooms of humble size, each one facing the ocean. We had the entire resort to ourselves as the other guests supposedly occupying the other two rooms had cancelled. _“Sobrang ganda mahal. I can live here.”_ I answered.

The place was relatively serene, except for the sound of the waves, the birds, and the crackling rocks beneath out feet. Stell squeezed my hands in agreement. I was wondering which room was ours when, as if on cue, Ems came back and handed Stell the room key with a wooden _Pawikan_ keychain. She made Stell sign some papers and left again soon after.

_“Tara mahal. Ayusin na natin mga gamit.”_ he said, grabbing his huge backpack and two other overnight bags which contained our swimming gear. I quietly trailed behind him until he led me to the farthest corner where a room was practically secluded. I thought I’ve seen everything already. There stood a lovely mini cabin. It has its own porch where the floor, I assumed, was made of Mahogany. A couple of colourful Bean bags were available too for lounging, and a huge hammock hanging in the middle. The sides of the porch were surrounded by Bougainville shrubs in white and pink. The best part would be the two mini dipping pools where I imagined chilling on at sundown. 

We went inside and there was a Queen sized canopy bed in the middle. We placed all our stuff on the floor and sluggishly plopped down the mattress due to exhaustion. I turned to face Stell and took of his eye glasses, making him face me. I shifted above him and rested my head on his chest. _“Ang ganda dito mahal. Thanks for bringing me here.”_ I said softly, then I felt his lips nuzzle on my hair and his arms wrapped around me.

_“Welcome love. Let’s enjoy the weekend okay?”_ Stell said, his voice sending tremors into my head. I tightened my embrace around him. Suddenly, my eyelids felt heavy and a yawn escaped from my mouth.

_“Yes love. Pero tulog muna tayo saglit. Sakit ng katawan ko.”_ I said, but didn’t hear any response anymore aside from the snoring that abruptly filled the room. I giggled and nestled my head on his heaving chest and dozed off.

#####

STELL POV

12 NN. I was startled by the sound of a chiming bell. I knew that sound by heart, it was time for lunch. We were too worn-out that we slept soundly for two hours while both of our legs were hanging on the edge of the mattress. I needed to get up but Sejun was fast asleep on my chest, his arms splayed on my waist. _What a baby._ I gently nudged him to wake him up; my fingers playfully tickled his ear until he whimpered. 

He moved his head and looked up at me, his long hair draping across his face, scarcely showing his eyes. His nose wiggled. _“I smell food. Hmm.”_ He said, closing his eyes and sniffing hard, probably trying to determine the dishes. He looked so cute while doing so but my eyes caught his lips, which were slightly opened because of his braces. It always looked so inviting and I’ve always had a hard time containing myself. Like now, I couldn’t help it so I cupped his chin and kissed him. 

My fingers trailed through his soft, messy locks. He just smelled so good. In one swift motion, I was suddenly on top of him, moving carefully so as not to break the kiss. My hands reached for the hem of his shirt, slowly lifting it when we heard something grumble that made us both stop. His cheeks turned bright Pink. 

_“Sorry mahal. Nagugutom na talaga ko haha.”_ He chuckled, making his eyes disappear into a straight line. I pinched his nose and finally got up from the bed, holding out my hand to help him rise on his feet. 

_“Haha yeah. Tara, let’s eat.”_ I said, heading for the door. As soon as I opened it, the sweet aroma of Kare-Kare filled the air.

_“Mahal! May Kare-Kare!”_ Sejun cried out like a kid in his eagerness as he sped to the dining area, selecting a table where the ocean was most viewable from. I smiled watching him and felt this familiar warmth on my chest. I’ve always loved this place for two things: The ocean and Kare-Kare. Now there’s a third one: Sejun.

#####

SEJUN POV 

3:50 PM. Stell and I spent the whole afternoon snorkelling. We didn’t have to explore too far out since the coral reef teeming with diverse marine life was just in front of the resort. The waves were subtle and the sun tamed down a bit so we got to enjoy the calmness of the sea. We were so enthralled by the experience that we decided to book for a scuba diving session from the neighboring resort the following morning. 

As soon as we got back from the beach, Ems called us out for an afternoon snack which she set up at one of the garden tables. There were choices between suman with latik and saging con yelo with French-pressed barako coffee. Stell thanked her and she smiled then she left. The weather was still humid but because of the number of trees bordering the area, the breeze seemed a bit cooler. I closed my eyes, basking in the delightful scenery all around me.

I turned to Stell, who was animatedly munching on his suman. I watched him eat and it felt so rewarding. He caught my gaze and smiled. _“You have something in mind mahal?”_ He asked, as he continued to chew on his food.

_“Curious lang ako.”_ I started. _“So you’ve been here before.”_ It sounded more like a statement than a question, and which he nodded in response to.

_“Many, many times, yes. I’ve lost count already. Summer or not, I pay a visit here. Pwede na nga akong part-owner”._ He joked and it must have been true, considering how the staff treated him. 

_“Mukha nga.”_ I said, as I took a sip of the barako coffee and winced. It was too bitter. I mixed a spoonful of their Muscovado sugar and took another sip. There, much better. _“So paano mo nalaman ‘tong place?”_ I asked again.

_“Online lang, constant research. I’ve been looking for small, rustic-looking resorts near Manila kasi eh. I found a blog recommending this place because of the scenery nga daw plus peaceful and quiet. Ayun, it was love at first sight.”_ He said continuously with a glint of pride in his eyes. 

He must really love this place. I do too, yet something was bothering me. This might not be a good time to ask, it might not even be appropriate, but it was at the back of my head since this morning, when I figured that he’d been coming back to this place for years. 

I toyed with the rim of my coffee mug, my forehead creasing. _Did he spend any of those times here with somebody else? An ex, perhaps? Family? I hoped he would say family. But what if he says an ex?_ I felt a very tiny ache, but nothing I couldn’t handle. My forehead crinkled even more. I flinched when I suddenly felt his hand over mine. I didn’t realize he had been calling me out.

_“What are you thinking? Nag s-space out ka.”_ He asked.

_“Ah. Sorry.”_ I mumbled, embarrassed. _“I was just wondering kung..sinong kasama mong nagpupunta dito before?”_ I finally asked, still fidgeting with my mug. It took him a while to answer so I looked up at him, only to find him grinning at me. My cheeks automatically flushed, knowing he figured out what was running through my head.

_“Tara, dun tayo sa dipping pool”._ He said as he stood up, holding my hand. We lounged at the pool. It was only about two feet deep and around five feet wide, just enough to soak a tired body and mind into. It was carved on the perimeter of the garden, overlooking the ocean and the sun on the far horizon. We rested our arms along the edge of the pool. I shut my eyes and inhaled deeply, drinking in the now cool breeze. I opened my eyes again when he spoke.

_“I’ve never brought anyone here with me.”_ He said, while staring at the ocean. I gazed at him for a while and nodded in relief after. I was about to open my mouth but he went on. “And even if I was seeing someone then, I wouldn’t have considered bringing him here.”

I stared at him in bewilderment, but I kept my mouth shut so he could continue speaking. 

_“I was possessive of this place. I wanted this beauty and peace all to myself. This was my sanctuary. Feeling ko kapag may ibang tao, madidisturb yung peace ko. Whether it was another guest, or someone I was dating, or kahit sino pa siya. Feeling ko pang-gulo lang? This place lets me breathe, lets me think clearly. Gets mo love? Ang babaw no? Pero ayun.”_

I thought carefully about what he said and I clearly understood. I have a place that I hold sacred as well, and that was my balcony. I guess I was lucky since I legitimately own the place. I just laze in there, lay my feet up on the stool, read a good book while having coffee, play the guitar and write songs. It’s the only place where I feel secure, and peaceful. So I understood what he meant, but he left another puzzle in my head. I shifted to face him.

_“So, uhm, why’d you bring me here now?”_ I asked.

He placed a hand on my cheek and pressed his lips on mine. It wasn’t long, or deep, but it was sincere. I shifted my body so that I was lying on my back against his chest, my head resting on the nook of his shoulder and both our arms were entangled across my waist. He snuggled against my hair before planting a kiss on my right cheek.

_"Because you remind me so much of this place, love."_ He whispered. I could feel his lips brushing against my ear, sending me chills, but it felt good at the same time. I mewled softly and his arms around me tightened more. 

_"Hmm? What do you mean?"_ I asked.

_"Well, for one, you're beautiful."_ He said, leaning over to leave another quick peck on my cheek, making me blush. _"Do you know how beautiful you are, Sejun? Gusto lang kitang titigan buong araw."_

_"Beautiful talaga? Hindi gwapo?"_ I joked. I gasped when his lips suddenly grazed my neck. 

_"Gwapo, na maganda. Parehas lang yun. Anyway."_ He continued. _"Like this place, you give me this, sense of peace. I mean, I feel safe when you're around. Kapag naiisip kita, it calms me. There's solace in your presence, love. You're my home."_ he said in a low voice, once again planting kisses on my cheek.

I felt like I was drowning in the moment, relishing every word. When I met Stell, a week after secretly watching him dance at the roof deck every day, I was undeniably attracted to him. He looked good, and the way he danced just seduces me to no ends. When he sang to me during our first video call, it was when I saw him for the first time, up close, and saw through him too. His voice lulled me to some unexplored lands, somewhere far away where only the calm existed.

_"Stell."_ I moved up, turning around to face him. He had the most beautiful eyes I've ever stared into. They looked so gentle, as though they would well up any moment. His thick lashes fluttered as his eyes pierced into my own. I took his hands and cradled them between mine, and gently placed it against my lips. _"I couldn't be without you anymore."_

Before I knew it, his lips already found mine. His one hand was lodged at the back of my head, gently pushing me in to deepen the kiss. I kissed him back, matching his pace. Our hands were roaming around our necks, shoulders and all over each other's body, reveling in the heat of our palms. He cradled my ass from underneath the water and slightly lifted me, settling me in between his legs. I could feel his growing erection brushing against me, and I began to grind my hips, making him moan inside my mouth.

_"Ah, Sir Stell?"_ Ems suddenly called from behind. Our eyes flew open and we quickly disentangled ourselves from each other, our faces both red. Ems was standing just a few meters away from our pool, holding a tray with glasses and a pitcher of drink and some other stuff. I wondered how long had she been standing there. _Someone kill me now._

Stell cleared his throat. _"Yes Ems?"_ he asked, eyes looking away and scratching his head.

_"Sorry Sir Stell. Mag se-serve na po ako ng mocktails. Saan ko po iiwan?"_

Stell got up from the pool, walked the few meters to Ems and took the tray from her hand, his drenched shorts creating a trail of puddle on his feet. He chatted with her for a bit and I saw her nodding her head. Then she turned back and left. Stell approached the pool, placing the tray down along the ledge. Then he stood back up, telling me he needed to get something from our room, and walked away.

I started eating. The resort food was scrumptious and made me drool even if I wasn't hungry. I filled our two glasses with drink, which seemed to be a concoction of soda and calamansi and lots of mint. There were toasted bread and Salsa too. I bit into the salsa, carefully scrutinizing the ingredients through taste. _So good._

Stell came back and sat along the ridge, his feet dangling underneath the waters. He took his glass and clinked it against mine before gulping down the drink in one go. He poured a second one into his glass, emptying it again in no time. He licked both his upper and bottom lips, savouring the sweet and sour taste lingering in his mouth.

_"Anong kinuha mo sa room mahal?"_ I asked, chewing on my bread. He stared at me for a brief moment before reaching out to his board shorts' pocket. He fished out a red, rectangular box. My forehead puckered out of curiosity. Shortly after, he opened the box which later on revealed a silver, chain bracelet. He took the bracelet out of the box and held it up. It glistened against the orange sunlight.

_"Do you like it?"_ He asked me, watching the dangling piece of jewelry intently.

I nodded in response. _"Yeah, it's beautiful. It'll look good on you love."_

He smiled, and slowly dipped down into the pool beside me. _"This.."_ He said, taking my hand and locking the bracelet around my wrist. _"Will look better on you."_

I blushed, ogling at the gleaming silver beauty cloaked around my wrist. _"Mahal, you didn't have to."_

_"I wanted to. Besides, babawiin ko rin naman yan if hindi ka mag-ye-Yes sa question ko."_ he said in a low voice with a pressing look in his eyes. I frowned in confusion but he giggled afterwards. _"Syempre joke lang hehe. Ang cute cute mo."_ He pinched my cheeks and I groaned.

_"Ano bang itatanong mo?"_ I asked. For some reason, my heart started racing. He wasn’t proposing, was he? Two months of dating would be too fast, wouldn’t it? Besides, nobody proposes using a bracelet, or is there? My heart thudded harder, faster. I needed to soothe my nerves down. My head was filled with preposterous thoughts yet again. I smacked my head mentally.

_"Sejun."_ Stell began, snapping me back to my senses. _"Will you be my boyfriend?"_

With that, my breathing paused, and everything fell quiet. The noise of the chirping birds and the rolling waves died down except for my erratic heartbeat. But hold on, I was baffled once again. I blinked at him twice and tilted my head in confusion, looking absolutely like an idiot. _"Ha? Wait lang. Hindi pa ba tayo?"_

Stell chuckled. _“I knew you’d say that.”_ He held my hand and fiddled on the bracelet. _“I guess, masyado kasing mabilis? Yung biglang naging tayo kahit wala namang nagtanong. Not that I’m complaining ha? I just wanted to ask you, officially. Pwede bang, tayo na?”_

The last few words rang inside my head. While I heard everything loud and clear, I couldn’t bring myself to open my mouth. I was happy. No, it was something more that I couldn’t name. 

I’ve lived on my own for the longest time, was in a relationship with my work, my books and music, caffeine included. I was fine with my daily routine and deemed it safe and sound, equating my life style to comfort zone. I wasn’t one to take risks. I wanted everything planned.

But Stell came into the picture, unassuming. Meeting him at the most troublesome period made everything become a mess since then. I did some bizarre things just to see him, talk to him, to be with him ; inexplicable things that were left unjustified but not regretted over. He made me see so much more beyond the life I built within the four corners of my apartment.

My lips curved into a smile. I eagerly slung my arms around his nape, while his arms instinctively encircled my waist. I planted a kiss on his lips, tasting the mixture of soda and lime in his mouth. _“Oo, Stell. Tayo na. Totoong tayo na.”_

He beamed at me, his cheeks turning rosy. He dropped his face into the alcove of my neck, and clasped my waist tight, squeezing me. 

_“God, I love you Sej.”_

_“I love you more Stell.”_

Once again, I lifted his face, cupping his chin and owning his lips. I didn’t care anymore if anybody watched. All I knew was I am in love with this man, and I would weave dreams with him ; weaving until our hairs turned grey. 

_Hairs as grey as the stripe of sand in the ocean, bathing in its beauty and glory;_

_Floating carelessly in the ocean of our kisses and caresses;_

_Cradling onto each other until our tears touched the sea._

I kissed him, tasting every crevice of his mouth. We kissed as the sun primed to finally set in the west, towing the purplish evening sky, until only the stars witnessed the love budding between the two souls immersing in their sanctuary that was _Lilom._

_“It was love, I knew, and it tasted like champagne in my mind.”_   
_― Neil Gaiman, Smoke and Mirrors: Short Fiction and Illusions_

THE END.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading Lockdown Lovers. I hope you enjoyed the ride! This was my first fic and it will always have a special place in my heart. Please follow me on Twitter @lefabgeek to stay updated with my works. There'll be more adventures to come!


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello there! Lockdown Lovers is back, for now (´｡• ω •｡`)  
> Seeing how much people actually liked this multichapter fic makes me soft, I can never thank you all enough. Especially now that this fic has gone over the 2000+ hits mark. Crazy. You're still reading even after more than two months!  
> So I'm adding two bonus chapters, both one shots. I've actually created a SocMed AU for this chapter but TBH, AO3 is really my home. Heh. Enjoy !!  
> (((o(*°▽°*)o)))

**SEJUN POV**

I was browsing on Rotten Tomatoes and Yahoo! Movies for reviews on this certain movie that has gotten me fascinated the whole week. Sci-Fi Action-Adventure films have always piqued my interest; the way they open my mind to an entirely different universe. Of course, the best part would be the visuals, like you get to see some things that might only be possible in the distant future. I love curiosity and wonder, things that awaken my visions.

I subtly stretched my limbs with a yawn and stirred to my right where Stell lay, his disheveled hair hooded nearly half his eyes. I secretly blushed to the thought of me ruining those soft jet-black strands as he squirmed underneath me just a few minutes ago. Now he’s far too absorbed watching some ASMR baking videos and god knows he’d hoard those ingredients as soon as he had the chance.

I twirled a finger around the baby hairs near his temples as my other free hand rested above his bare stomach.

_“ **Love, bukas** **y** **ung movie date natin** **ha?** **I’ll get tickets na online para derecho na tayo sa Greenbelt** **after shift mo** **. O Glorietta ba gusto mo?”**_ I asked, still playing with his hair.

_“ **Greenbelt na lang Love, para di masyadong crowded.”**_ He murmured, his eyes still fixed on the YouTube video.

_“ **Okay. Love you. Basta bukas ha? Wag mo kalimutan.”**_

_“ **Hala sya. Ano tingin mo sa akin? Ulyanin? O bingi?”**_

_“ **Joke lang hehe. Sleep na tayo, it’s getting late na.”**_ I said, gently brushing my lips on his cheek.

He held my hand that rested on his belly and meshed his fingers in between. _ **“Love you. Tapusin ko lang ‘tong video. Sleep ka na. Good night.”**_

_“ **Okay. Good night love.”**_ I spooned against him and buried my nose in the hollow of his neck and shoulder, our fingers still entwined. Shortly after, the light from his phone went off and we both dozed off calmly, holding each other close.

**STELL POV**

**7:53 AM.**

_“ **Shit. Shit.”**_ I cursed as I desperately ransacked my fellow officer’s workstation in search of her training modules and copies of the Spot Checker’s Rating Sheet. She suddenly went on an unscheduled vacation leave and informed us last minute. Without any other officers to substitute as spot checker for today’s training class, my immediate supervisor dragged me to the side and designated the task to me with an annoying catatonic look on her face.

_Uhh, god,_ I despise my boss with all the fibers in my body. _Palibhasa wala naman_ _syang_ _ibang inatupag kundi mag make-up at makipag-chismisan._ I spat mentally, which I secretly hoped did not register on my face.

_“ **Naku sasabunutan ko talaga yang kilay mo pagbalik mo Yen!”**_ I muttered rather audibly, making Yen’s teammates around me giggle. I placed my forefinger in front of my lips, asking them not to spill to anyone what I just said.

_“ **Stell? It’s 7:55 already. Hurry up!”**_ The evil witch exclaimed from her station.

_“_ ** _Madam! Eto na po.”_ **I yelled back.

Gathering all the modules and rating materials in one hand and struggling to support my coffee-filled tumbler in the other, I started dashing towards the exit. I halted on my tracks and groaned when I realized I left my phone on my table. I quickly turned back, unplugged my phone from the charger, struggled again, and finally darted towards the door.

_Wala pang alas ocho, ang dugyot mo na Stell!_ I thumped my shoe against the marbled floor while impatiently waiting for the elevator. The training room was all the way up the 24th floor. Hoping by some miracle that two minutes would be sufficient to get me there.

At exactly 8 AM, I carefully opened the back door of the training room and slouched on my seat without getting myself any sort of attention. I quickly turned my phone’s volume to silent mode and officially started the day.

The training went on as scheduled and at exactly 12 noon, we all took our lunch breaks. If it was any consolation, there was a mini canteen on the same floor which fortunately saved me some time and energy from going all the way down to the cafeteria on the ground floor. And what could have made me happier was the fact that they served Kare-Kare for lunch today. If this was the universe's doing to make up for all the trouble my goody-two-shoes boss then I'd welcome it with open arms.

I spent a quick meal alone in one corner, occasionally nodding and waving at the new batch of trainees that came by to say hello when my phone buzzed inside my pocket. I smiled as soon as Sejun's name popped on my screen. It has been more than a year since we started dating and never once did he fail to message me during my breaks, reminding me to eat on time, and sometimes, he just simply bothers me to tell me he misses me or he loves me. 

Within that one year, Sejun had become so much more than being called my boyfriend. He's that one person that I needed to talk to when I had bad days; that one person I could rely on to not judge my decisions. He became my rock, my sweetheart, my best friend. I still fall for him, hard, every day. 

Reading out his latest messages, I could only shake my head in disbelief. He had Sinigang na Baboy again for lunch, like he did every other day. Although the same can be said for me and my Kare-Kare. He quickly reminded me of our movie date tonight. _Ugh._ Hopefully, the training finishes on time so I could work on my backlogs. While it's next to impossible that I can get off at exactly 5 PM, I asked for a 15-minute allowance. Even that seemed far-fetched to be honest but I could only try. I swiftly finished my meal, brushed my teeth, and headed back to the training room.

///

**STELL POV**

**4:40 PM**

The training finished twenty minutes earlier than scheduled so I was elated thinking I still had ample time to accomplish my backlogs. After the trainer and the batch of trainees said their thank-yous and goodbyes, I scurried past them and off to the elevator and squished myself in at the first car that stopped on my floor. I still had a shit-ton of workload to complete.

I dropped by the evil witch’s workstation to submit the Spot Checker’s Rating Sheet as well as a summary report of the entire training. She briefly scanned the papers and with her finger, she gestured me to leave without even bothering to look at me. _Bruha talaga._

I scrambled to my workstation and started working, glancing at the computer clock every so often. Darn. It’s almost 5 PM, I should’ve been preparing to go home tch. Josh and Ken also dropped by my area and bade goodbye. They must be going out again.

Just a few minutes past 5 PM and half of the floor had already been emptied. To keep myself focused on the work at hand, I wedged my earphones and played some relaxing music. This one of those life-hacks Sejun taught me to avoid distractions. Soon enough, I was typing at a crazy speed.

I was almost half-done with my duties when my music was cut without warning and my earphones were plucked off my ears. What the f---, oh.

_“ **Stell, kanina pa kita tinatawag.”**_ said the evil witch just a few inches away from the shell of my ears. Her one fake eyebrow raised unbelievably high. I stopped typing.

_“ **Sorry Madam. Bakit po?”**_

_“ **I need your help on a case sa online banking natin. This was presented by the Contact Center Team earlier. Punta ka muna sa station ko saglit.”** _she said continuously and turned around without waiting for my answer.

_Uh oh, I need to tell Sejun_. I started typing a message on my phone, hoping to let Sejun know I might be a few more minutes late. But another ear-splitting call on my name rattled me and I frantically pitched the phone inside my bag, unwittingly failing to send a proper message. _Badtrip._ I took one last desperate look at my phone and skidded to the evil witch’s station with a groan.

Stell: _**Se**_

Sejun **: _Love?_**

Sejun **: _Tawag mo ba ako? Or.._**

Sejun: _**Napindot mo lang ba?**_

Sejun: **_BTW, 5:05 PM na. Kaya pa ba yung 15 minutes love?_**

Sejun: _**Sorry baka naka-istorbo ako. Message mo lang ako.**_

Sejun: _**Love...**_

Sejun: _**Love? 5:25 PM na :(**_

Sejun: _**Andito lang ako sa lobby, waiting...**_

Sejun: _**Love, are you okay? Starting to worry here.**_

Sejun: _**Love, okay lang if hindi na tayo tuloy. It's almost 6 PM. Please reply. :(**_

Sejun: _**5 minutes. Kapag wala ka pa ring reply, aakyat na ako diyan.**_

Sejun: _**That's it, puntahan na kita.**_

///

**6:02 PM.**

_**“Arrgh. Lagot na naman ako kay Sejun nito”**_ was all I could think of as I ran back to my work station. The first thing I did was look for my phone and my eyes went wide. Just as I’ve feared, there were several messages from Sejun, with the last one telling me that he’d be fetching me from up here. I typed on my phone while I briskly tossed my stuff inside my bag.

Stell: **_LOVE! I'M SO SORRY AAAAHHH!! FORGIVE ME PLEASE!!!_ (╥﹏╥)(╥﹏╥)**

And Sejun's reply was immediate.

Sejun: _**god, what happened to you??**_

Sejun: _**Kanina pa ako nag-aalala dito. Naghihintay na ako ng elevator paakyat.**_

Stell: _**Wag na, wag na! Pababa na ako. Waiting for elevator na rin.**_

Stell: _**Shit. Sorry talaga love! Si evil witch kasi!**_ **(｡T ω T｡)**

Stell **: _Sorry, sorry, sorry talaga!_ ｡･ﾟﾟ*(>д<)*ﾟﾟ･｡**

Sejun **: _Hay, sige. Wait na lang kita ulit dito sa lobby :(_**

Stell **: _Love, wag na sad please? I feel so bad. (╯︵╰,)_**

Stell **: _Eto na, malapit na ako sa ground. BRB._**

**SEJUN POV**

I returned to the couch at the lobby where I’ve been stalling for the last hour. I went over the messages on my phone once more, Stell’s last message said he’s already at the elevator and was on his way down. Obliviously, I crooked my fingers inward, bones subtly cracking, trembling a little when my fingers raked into my palms. They were cold and a bit clammy from sweat. If it was the airconditioning’s chilled air’s doing, I couldn’t tell.

The elevator from the far-end of the hall dinged, and my boyfriend spilled out from its doors. His hair was of little mess, and his eyes had a modest touch of shadows along the rim. He looked spent, like he could melt away in my arms at the slightest friction. He walked rather briskly towards me, forehead wrinkling in what could only be deemed as dismay and alarm.

I waited until he was within my arms reach and let my hands slip around his slender waist, drawing him closer to my own. The crevice of his neck and shoulder is one of my favorite places to perch my lips on, and I did tenderly so. A long and deep whimper escaped from my lips as I held it back for a long while. I hugged him tighter.

Stell must have been bewildered, or confused; maybe even embarrassed. I could tell from the way his body stiffened underneath my grip and it only made me want to lock him in a little bit longer than needful. Sometimes, I wished I could just hug him all day and stay that way.

I only waited for an hour, but I got worried. Truth be told, I am worried all the time. Stell must be thinking how melodramatic I was, or how borderline creepy this must have been. But what is not reasonable about getting worked up for someone you cared so much for? It’s crazy.

**_“Sej, what’s wrong?”_** Stell asked in a rather gravelly voice, low enough that only I could hear.

I relaxed my grip but my hands didn’t let go of his waist as I faced him. His lips did it again. He pouted, and those lips looked even redder than I could remember. If I stared at it for a few more seconds, I might have pulled him in for a kiss here in the middle of the crowded lobby and I wouldn’t care.

_**“What’s wrong? Can’t you see how worried I was?”** _

_**“Sorry na Sej. Saka, andito lang naman ako sa office eh.”** _

_**“Kahit na. What if nakidnap ka na pala, hindi ko pa alam?”** _

_**“Luh. OA naman.”** _

_**“I’m being serious here?”** _

_**“Hay okay. Sorry na kasi hindi ako naka-message agad. Sorry na ginabi ako. Sorry na hindi tayo natuloy sa movie date. Promise I’ll take you to the movies sa weekend. Bawi ako love.”**_ He said unceasingly, it almost sounded like a song.

He bent his head down after a visible frown on his face caught my sight. His fingers toyed on the case of his ID and it made me to kiss them. I stared at him for a while, amused at the childlike expression on his beautiful face.

He is a man of power in his chosen field, supervising a huge group of people in his wing. Crisp dark suits and people of authority are his constants, a stark contrast to this fragile-looking dream before my eyes.

_**“It’s alright love.”**_ I caressed his hand with mine and clasped it, giving it a comforting squeeze. “You’re tired. Let’s go home.”

He smiled and squeezed my hand back before we stepped out of the building and walked our way home under the graceful prismatic skyline.

///

**STELL POV**

Makati has always been a bustling place that knows no time. Lights from the street posts flickered and belighted the alley where Sejun and I passed by on our way home. There were flocks of people in every corner, bars and Korean convenience stores and fast-food chains littered on both sides of the street.

It took me one whiff of that familiar charcoal scent and my stomach grumbled as soon as we stopped by in front of a small Samgyupasal place. My mouth watered instinctively at the thought of cheese and pork belly. I frantically wriggled the sleeves of Sejun’s sweater with urgency in my eyes.

_**“Love, samgyup!”**_ I pursed my lips to the direction of the restaurant and he followed my gaze.

_**“Dito?”**_ He asked, scrutinizing the volume of the crowd inside the resto. _**“Sige tara. Gutom na rin ako eh.”**_

_**“Table for two po? Follow me Sirs.”**_ said the friendly-looking wait staff who quickly went inside to fix our spot.

There were several occupied tables, yet fortunately not too cramped. We were ushered to an average-sized table for two situated in a corner which was pleasantly secluded by a frosted glass panel. We knew exactly what we wanted to have hence the ordering and serving of food were a breeze.

_**“In fairness love no? Ang sarap nung mga sides nila saka ang dami!”**_ I flapped eagerly before munching on a mouthful of samgyup wrap, dripping in Ssamjang sauce.

_**“Yeah, cheaper than most din.”**_ Sejun smiled which quickly turned to a small frown. He leaned closer and thumbed the side of my mouth. _**“May soybean paste. Ang dugyot mo talaga kumain.”**_

I smiled, finding the gesture thoughtful and cute, but not until his tongue whisked out of his mouth to lick the sauce-coated fingertip clean. He did it a disturbingly slow pace while he stared deeply into my soul.

My throat swiftly ran dry. I reached for my glass of water and consumed it in three huge gulps.

_**“Ate, another pitcher of water po please? Thank you!”**_ I called on to the wait staff as I handed the empty pitcher for a refill.

_**“Uhaw na uhaw love?”**_ Sejun asked, the corner of his mouth arching to a blatant smirk.

Suddenly, his hand landed on my lap and I flinched. I glared at Sejun, sending him a cue that I was categorically conscious of his evil ploy. He giggled innocently.

_**“Ang jumpy mo naman yata love. First time?”** _

I smacked his leg with a resounding slap and his mouth shaped into a silent ‘O’.

_**“Ikaw ha. Behave!”**_ I pointed a finger at him and ignored him with best efforts.

I hurriedly shoved wraps of samgyup into my mouth in hopes of finishing early and getting out of here as fast as we could. Suddenly, there was heat pooling inside my guts.

Goose flesh crawled on my skin when his hand, once again, found its way to my lap, caressing it back and forth as fucking slowly as he could. It was getting harder to breathe and swallow my food every second.

_**"Love, eat this oh. Open your mouth."**_ Sejun said where the sweetness in his voice has ultimately floated in the air. I still had my mouth full of lettuce but the piece of cheese-coated pork belly wedged between his chopsticks dangled in front of my face. I quickly swallowed a portion of the food I was eating to create space and dutifully took the meat that he shoved inside my mouth.

_**"Good boy."**_ He sing-songed as he gently fondled my hair.

His hand on my lap had long since roamed on the length of my leg and rested just a few inches below from my pants' pocket. The thin fabric of my slacks rendered no protection against the warmth of his hand and pain was starting to bloom under my belly.

His fingers scribbled small invisible circles along the fabric of my slacks. His other hand slid across my shoulders until he reached the back of my neck and rested it there. The warmth of his hand against my cold skin sent unsolicited shivers all over my body. He stroked my nape.

_**"Love, nakikiliti ako. Stop na kasi."** _

He drew his face closer and whispered on my ear. _**"Hmm, let me think about it."**_

His tepid breath fanned against my cheek and my mind whirled in a cloudy haze. A soft, moist flesh ran along the shell of my ear and I bit a finger to stifle a moan. I couldn't hold it in anymore.

_**"CR lang ako love."**_ I hastily stood, pushing my chair backward that it nearly tumbled.

I sped up to the restroom and locked myself inside one of the cubicles, releasing a moan as I unzipped my pants and my cock sprang free. This is not good. I fished my phone from my pocket and typed a message, while my other hand started busying itself, stroking my throbbing sex.

Stell: _**Sejun**_

Sejun: **_Stell_**

Stell: _**I'm horny**_

Stell: _**Middle cubicle**_

Stell: _**Please**_

Sejun: _**Shoot**_

Sejun: _**But our food :(**_

Stell: _**Are you serious??**_

Stell: _**This is all your fault.**_

Sejun: _**Can't we go home first?**_

Stell: _**Eh di umuwi ka na.**_

Stell: _**I'll take care of this myself.**_

Sejun: _**No, no wait!**_

Sejun: _**I'll call for the bill. Wait for me.**_

_**SEJUN POV** _

I urgently asked for the tab from the wait staff and left a One Thousand bill on the basket without waiting for the change. Quickly but cautiously entering the restroom, I softly knocked on the door of the cubicle in the center. The door swung open and a hand yanked me inside.

Stell was already flushed and panting, struggling to relieve himself. His hand gripped around his hard member, weeping at the tip. Without tearing my gaze off from him, I dropped on my knees, leaned in and clenched the underside of his dick before lapping a strip up on the length of it. Stell's lips parted wide in pleasure, and he curled his fingers against the fabric of his suit. When I started sucking on his cock, he began clawing on my shoulders before they found themselves wrapped against clumps of my hair, yanking my head back and forth as he thrust his hips inside my mouth.

I tried to take him deeper, and I could tell he was struggling to stifle his groans. I returned my focus on the head of his cock while I stroke him up and down in perfect tempo. I took a quick glimpse at Stell's twisted face and still, he looked so fucking pretty. Wasted, but pretty.

I tried to deep-throat him several times, and I only found myself gagging. Stell is too huge. He held a hand over his mouth and squeezed his eyes shut, straining to suppress what could have been a pleasant string of moans but has then since reduced to purrs and whimpers. It wasn't long before he was choking at a warning that he was about to come. Stell tried to push me away so he could jerk himself off and spurt his orgasm into the toilet but I clamped my hands against his ass, urging him to come into my throat. 

With one last thrust of his hip, he came hard and shot his load straight into my throat and I sucked him dry. The friction of my mouth together with my pleasurable lapping pumped a few more squirts from Stell's pulsating cock, before he sunk into a breathless heap in my arms.

I helped him fix his clothes and stepped out of the cubicle as soon as his knees stopped shuddering.

_**"Okay ka na?"**_ I teased, and I earned myself another smack on my chest.

_**"No. Bilisan na natin. May tatapusin pa tayo."** _

_**"Unit mo o unit ko?"** _

_**"Yours."** _

_**"Okay."** _

I held his hand and almost dragged him out of the restaurant distractedly, my head was fuzzy and filled with impure thoughts that roused me all the more. I bit my lip hard, knowing this is going to be another long and eventful night.


	18. Chapter 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A special chapter for StellJun's first year anniversary!  
> Enjoy the fluff ( ´ ∀ `)ノ～ ♡

July 18, 2021

“ _ **Here we are!”**_ Sejun said while looking at the rear-view mirror and the back now and again, while he guardedly squeezed the car into the remaining vacant parking slot. It wasn’t even a quarter past 8 AM and customer vehicles already filled the slots. Heck, it’s not even summer. He secretly hoped all these people would have flocked the main public resort instead and not Luljettas. A crowded villa would be the last thing he wanted on this special occasion.

“ _ **Wait.”**_ Stell paused and blinked twice in disbelief upon seeing the resort’s pastoral-themed arc by the entrance. _**“Luljettas? For real?!”**_ He excitedly cried out as he animatedly rolled the passenger window down and poked his head out to get a more definite look.

He’d been dying to visit the place for so long but whenever he booked an out of town trip for the two of them, they always end up at Lilom Resort for some reason; not that he’s complaining of course. Lilom will always be their sanctuary. But Stell had been ogling Luljettas through countless blogs and magazines given his penchant for Bali-inspired hanging garden villas. He began to speculate whether or not Sejun knew about this but decided he didn't care. He unfastened his seat belt and quickly shifted over to Sejun to cradle him in a tight embrace.

“ _ **Thank you, love!”**_ Stell mumbled softly as he pressed his lips deeply against Sejun’s cheek before peppering the latter's entire face with plentiful tender kisses. _**“Ang tagal ko ng gustong magpunta dito.”**_

Sejun giggled and flushed at the heartfelt sweetness of his boyfriend, the tip of his ears heating momentarily as he ran his fingers up and down his younger lover's back in a mellow beat.

Bali and its hanging garden villas have been recurrently mentioned in their late-night conversations and on multiple occasions, which gave him the idea. While an out of the country trip sounds delightful, the demands of their work impede them both from doing so. He had hoped a Bali-inspired villa would do the trick for now, and based on Stell’s reaction, he seemed to have made an excellent choice. He mentally patted himself on the back.

* * *

Sejun and Stell were graciously ushered to the resort's reception located on the second floor of the rustic and gypsy-themed building. The entire resort seemed to be a cluster of villas with touches of varying cultures and tropes, and Stell's face lit up in fascination and awe. Sejun introduced himself at the reception desk where a lovely lady in Batik clothing bowed her head politely and smiled. The name on her metal plate stated Lyka, which Sejun courteously took note of.

_**"Good morning Lyka."**_ Sejun approached in his gleeful raspy voice, extending his hand towards her which unwittingly caused the pretty young lady to blush. She gave Sejun's hand a timid squeeze.

_**"Good morning Mr. Nase.** _ _**Upon** _ _**checking Sir, you booked the Hanging Gardens Getaway Package for two?"** _

_**"**_ _ **That's correct,"**_ Sejun responded and flinched a little when Stell's hands suddenly appeared on his sides and sensuously smoothed along his waist, wrapping him in a tight hug. In return, he let his hand grazed against Stell's, caressing it lovingly so.

They were pulled from the depths of each other's thoughts when the twinkling sound of a bell resonated in the air. Another lady, carrying two woven baskets in her arms, appeared from the flight of steps in the corner. She bowed politely and handed each of them the basket which contained a towel, a Batik robe, and a key.

_**"Good morning Mr. Nase, Mr. Ajero. My name is Mariel. Please follow me."** _

After signing some papers and obtaining their copies of the map of the entire villa, they were again escorted out of the lobby and they headed to the locker rooms found at the floor just below the reception. They swiftly changed into their wet attires and secured their belongings inside the lockers.

They met Ms. Mariel outside of the locker room where she oriented them about the map as well as the schedule of their lunch and snacks. Once everything had been explained and settled, she excused herself and let them explore on their own.

Stell squealed as soon as he discovered the location of the famous fish spa from the map and he excitedly dragged Sejun to the area. The older lover willingly let himself be towed from one spot to another as Stell restlessly tried one amenity after the other, running around in his slippers and cackling energetically every so often like a kid.

After a scrumptious traditional lunch at the veranda, which blissfully commanded a view of the mountain ranges of the Sierra Madre and Laguna de Bay, they finally soaked into the villa's star attraction, the infinity pool, meticulously carved along Antipolo ridges.

Stell briskly walked past Sejun and plunged himself straight into the pool with a rowdy splash that misted over him. He smiled as he felt a burst of warmth and calmness in his chest as he watched Stell in his barest, happiest state.

* * *

A stretch of cobalt blue and whispy ivory clouds smothered the afternoon sky. The sun must have bloomed out there, somewhere. But it is currently unseen, lost in the splendor of the heavens. A rich mantle of greenfields cloaked the terrain from hundreds of feet below. The weather was young and beautiful, and so was the breeze that slowly filled Sejun's lungs as he took a deep, satisfied breath. The air smelled of fresh flowers and dew drops.

Some few feet in front of him stood the silhouette of his younger lover, where beads of water slowly dripped along the length of the honeyed shade of his skin. Tiny crests danced in the water as he stirred ever graciously so. Watching as his beloved splayed his toned arms along the tiled ridge of the infinity pool, he wondered how such a beautiful being could have fallen in love with him the same way he did.

At this thought, it felt like Sejun's heart somehow would belt from its veins and flee, floating within the maze of his body.

He laid a hand over his chest, cold skin against cold skin caused by the shoulder-deep water. He took a moment to listen to his heartbeat, eyes fluttered to closure. It danced rather wildly to an erratic tempo, that which he attempted to calm down by rubbing circles on that certain spot on his chest. Certainly, it didn't. Not in the least.

He planked his body into the waters and gracefully drifted towards Stell, who was motionlessness as a figurine, entirely consumed by the beauty of the meadows in the horizon.

Whether Stell at least felt Sejun's presence from behind as small waves kissed the little of his back, he didn't show. And even when the faintest sweep of Sejun's fingers skimmed around his waist and fastened them in until they reached his navel, he continued riveting his eyes onto the fields below. Thin greyish lines slithered in between those fields, highways they were. They appeared like hairlines from up above and Stell found them amazing. Sejun thought it was cute of him, like how everything Stell did or said were endearing. What wouldn't he give just to see the world through those eyes?

Sejun drew his face closer to Stell's cheek and pressed his lips. The softness made Stell's eyes close and he reveled at its sweetness and sincerity, more so as Sejun whispered "I love you" in-between those tiny kisses that had since showered his face. Despite the crispness of the water, Stell's face turned a darkish pink. Sejun found it adorable and he let a finger trace the outline of his boyfriend's blush until it disappeared underneath a clump of wet hair. He tucked the stray clump behind his ear and rubbed the shell with his thumb. Stell found himself blushing even harder.

As Sejun stared deep into Stell's eyes, cupping his face between his fingers, he found it difficult to breathe. He was perfection. He was divine.

_**"If kisses were colors**_ _ **,**_ _ **you'd see every one**_ _ **of the bands of a rainbow that shines in the sun,"**_ Sejun whispered gingerly, his voice thick with gravel and glitter.

Stell tilted his head to the side, melting his cheek on Sejun's palms. And while he didn't have the slightest idea what Sejun meant, it sounded the most songful and enchanting.

_**"If kisses were colors,"**_ Sejun repeated. _**"We used to read that book before bedtime. My mom, she would read to me every night."**_

Stell smiled, lost in the melody of Sejun's voice.

_**"It said, Love, is warmer than a wool blanket, sturdier than an oak tree, brighter than a rainbow.**_ _ **"**_ Sejun went on. _**"Honestly**_ _ **, I didn't quite understand, but it was pleasant to listen to.**_ _ **"**_

Sejun planted a soft kiss on Stell's lips and clasped both of his hands on either side of his face, gently thumbing his cheeks like he was the most precious thing in the world. He didn't know he could meet someone who could make him see the universe just by looking at his eyes. That universe felt like it was a part of his soul, welded into his every vein and muscle, and the cinders of that universe began to flicker and glow.

Suddenly, his life was not so dark anymore. Stell lit up that cinder and gave him light, and finally, he knew how it felt to be loved. How it was supposed to feel like.

_**"Now I do. The colors,** _ _**the light,** _ _**the warmth.** _ _**I see everything.** _ _**I see**_ _ **all**_ ** _those in you_ _, whenever_ _I look at you. You are my light_ _,_ _Stell."_**

Sejun curled his finger and brushed the stray tear that trickled along Stell's eye. They smiled in silence, drowning in each other's eyes and soul.

Sejun reached under the water and lifted Stell's hand and placed it on his lips. He left a gentle kiss on each limb, from bone to the nail, to his palm, cherishing every inch of his body. _ **"Mahal na mahal kita**_ _ **Stell**_ _ **."**_ Sejun's voice croaked as he failed to stop his tears from falling.

Apart from the water dripping from the pool to the ridge, something unspoken passed between them. A sound that only hearts that swayed to the same music could hear.

_**"Mahal na mahal din kita Sej."**_ Stell managed to choke the words out in between frail weeps and sniffles. He pressed his body closer to Sejun's, barring every ounce of air and space. He slung his arms on Sejun's nape and buried his face on his bare shoulder after leaving a short trail of kisses along the bone. _**"Mahal na mahal. Sobrang mahal.**_ _ **You brought me**_ _ **solace**_ _ **and joy, more than I had ever known.**_ _ **I can't be without you.**_ _ **You're no longer just my home.**_ _ **You are my life now**_ _ **baby**_ _ **."**_

Sejun hugged him back, tight, veins straining underneath his skin, never wanting to let go.

_**"You will never be without me, Stell. From here on**_ _ **, w**_ _ **e will grow old and**_ _ **wrinkly**_ _ **together."**_ Sejun whispered, and he could feel the soft trembling of Stell's shoulders from his chin.

Stell loosened his grip and faced Sejun, their foreheads touched.

_**"**_ _ **Wrinkly**_ _ **? Di ako magiging**_ _ **wrinkly**_ _ **kahit lolo na ko. Ikaw lang."**_ Stell chuckled.

Sejun reached for his lips and quickly planted a kiss. _**"Of course not. You'll always be the most beautiful**_ _ **to**_ _ **me, Stell Ajero."**_

He kissed him again.

Sejun reached underneath the water and fished something out of the pocket of his boardshorts. Stell's eyes followed his hand. And from the murky shadows under which their bodies sank into, he saw something glisten in Sejun's hand. He didn't tear his gaze off of it until it was eventually in front of his face. A gold band that glowed like a daydream as soon as the sun emerged from the clouds, spilling light overhead.

Sejun took Stell's hand again, and with the ring held by his other fingers, he uttered a long and hopeful sigh.

_**"Stell Ajero. Please marry me. Grow old with me baby."** _

Stell's smile wavered, eyes turned glassy.

This was the kind of silence that Sejun sometimes did not want. The kind that does not let him see what Stell sees, the kind that does not let him know what ran inside Stell's thoughts. Sejun felt afraid of Stell's silence. They stood immobile, seemingly spellbound.

At long last, Stell placed both of his trembling hands over his mouth, and tears welled from his eyes. He began to choke tiny, muted whimpers but it wasn't too long until he started crying. Sejun panicked and wrapped Stell in an embrace.

_**"Love. I'm sorry. Sshh, calm down. Calm down, baby."**_ Sejun caressed his back until his cries had since reduced to soft mewls. _**"Did I scare you? I'm sorry."**_

Stell stammered in between sobs. _"_ _ **No**_ _ **, no**_ _ **love. Of course not. Sorry, ang OA ko.**_ _ **Na-**_ _ **overwhelm**_ _ **lang ako**_ _ **, that you actually want**_ _ **ed**_ _ **to marry me."**_

Sejun frowned with what he heard. If he could give Stell anything in this lifetime, he would have given him his eyes. Only then would he realize how special he is to Sejun, and more. Without doubts, without pauses, in a heartbeat, he knew he will keep choosing Stell.

_**"** _ **_Baby_** _,_ _**there's nothing more I could ask for**_ _ **but to be with you all my life.** _ _**To wake up next to you, cook for you, drop and pick you up from work and go home together.** _ _**I promise to t**_ _ **ak**_ _ **e** __**care of you, make**_ ** _love to you all the time, I can even do TikToks for you. I'll do whatever you want. I love you. Marry me, please_ _, Stell_ _?"_**

And while Stell was far from simmering his emotions down, he managed to smile along with his moist, red eyes. He held his hand up to Sejun.

_**"Yes. Yes, I will."** _

Sejun smiled, he looked so bright under the orange glow of the setting sun that he almost looked unreal. He placed his hand at the back of Sejun's neck and kissed him deeply, fiercely, like he was kissing him for the first time. Hands roamed across each other's bodies where every brush was liquid fire against their cold skin. Stell mewled feebly within Sejun's mouth when the latter's hand grazed along the length of his body.

They broke off their kiss when they needed to come up for air. They giggled, foreheads touching.

Sejun finally slipped the gold ring into Stell's finger, and it fitted perfectly like a puzzle piece. He held it onto his lips and kissed the ring with veneration.

_**"I can't wait to call you my Stellvester Ajero-Nase."** _

_**"Me too, love. Me too."** _

Their lips briefly touched once more and held each other close, each facing opposite ends of the skyline that had since flared up into a chroma of rosette and tangerine. Stell held his hand up, where the ring exquisitely nestled around his finger. He held it high enough for the descending sun to capture its reflection on the metal and it twinkled in radiance.

Sejun selflessly brimmed his heart with fragments of himself. He was unknowing to such fullness, a tidal surge of emotions, desire, and weaknesses flooding into the deadest rifts and cracks of him. Everything felt like a dream and he was thankful. Now there are all the reasons in the world to look forward to all the coming days of his life as they venture into a brand new journey, hands entwined together, until they are old and gray.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave a Kudos and a comment if you liked it so far. Will greatly appreciate and probably motivate me to continue writing heheh TY


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